All actors have to try a mental-impairment role at some point in their careers (don't they?), and Mel Gibson took his best shot with this sweet film about a young retarded man and his gentle relationship with an older woma... more »n (Piper Laurie) who teaches him to read and to adjust to the real world. Tim's parents come to trust the woman's honorable intentions, but the movie still gives Mel's female fans a lot to swoon over; it's a platonic romance with plenty of temptation that's never acted upon. Add to that the fact that Gibson's really quite good in the title role--after Mad Max, this was Mel's first widely seen opportunity to prove himself in a dramatic role before his higher-profile roles in The Road Warrior and Gallipoli. Tim is a bit too schmaltzy and sentimental, but this 1979 release has gained a loyal audience over the years, and the film has a lot more than just a young Mel Gibson to recommend it. --Jeff Shannon« less
Slowburn but over the top story with a young Mel Gibson if you are a fan! A must watch!
Movie Reviews
TIM IS TOPS...
Lawyeraau | Balmoral Castle | 03/10/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This is a gem of a film, starring the underrated Piper Laurie in the role of a well to do, but lonely, business woman, Mary Horton, who befriends a very nice, good looking day laborer, Tim Melville, earnestly played by a very young Mel Gibson. Tim happens to be a little simple. His family describes him as being "a few short of a full quid".
While he does work around her house, she gets to know him, as well as his working class family. As time goes on, a deep fondness that ripens into love develops between the two. He brings her out of her shell, and she teaches him to read and explains concepts that will enable him to function better in the world around him. Based upon Colleen McCollough's book of the same name, this is a very well acted film, with fine performances by the supporting cast, as well as the leads.
The quality of the DVD is bargain basement with no additional features. That is to be expected, as the price of this DVD is likewise bargain basement. One gets what one pays for. Moreover, the DVD picture is best described as grainy. This is unfortunate for such an excellent film. A better transfer from print to DVD should have been executed, as this film certainly merits it, as does the viewer."
Tim: Mel Gibson in an Australian Sleeper
Timothy W. Newman | Floyds Knobs, IN United States | 11/10/2001
(4 out of 5 stars)
"One of Mel Gibson's earliest films, "Tim" has been overlooked by most Mel Gibson fans. Gibson plays a young, mentally challenged Australian in a romantic relationship with an older, American business executive (Piper Laurie). A youthful Mel Gibson shows his talent to create believable characters and make us forget he's acting.
The film examines the theme of star-crossed lovers in the context of age, mental capacity, and social acceptance. The emotional tide of Tim's family, his lover, and their peers pulls at our heart-strings, and forces a sometimes uncomfortable self-examination of how we judge others and how we may define "love."
This movie is a great, romantic tear-jerker. The slower pace and gritty texture of early Australian cinema may deter some viewers, but the fresh story-line alone makes this movie well worth watching.
You'll like this movie if:
You liked Kevin Costner's "Message in a Bottle," and enjoyed Mel Gibson in "Man Without A Face" and "What Women Want."
You'll be disappointed if:
You're expecting a light, romantic comedy like "What Women Want," or the action of "The Road Warrior.""
Beautiful, Poignant
Deborah Earle | USA | 10/22/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Having read the book, I can see why Gibson was chosen for the role. Tim is described as someone with features that would have inspired Praxiteles.-Classic and beautiful in Greek purportions. Despite the lack of blond hair that Colleen McCoullough ascribed her mentally diminished hero, Gibson gives him the vulnerabilty and nobility that McCoullogh describes. Piper Laurie is marvelous as Tim's employer, caretaker, and eventual love interest. The Australian landscape was gorgeous(it reminds me of Hawaii, where I lived as a child). But I was glad this film spares us the full descriptions of how Tim was treated by his co-workers. This is a very sensitive, well-thought piece, and I guess I can overlook many inconsistancies with the book and just enjoy the beauty of it."
Love comes from the heart and will always win.
Deborah Earle | 10/27/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"One thinks that the most importan thing in life is in our head. Thoughts are nothing without feelings. A brillant mind can kill thousands of soul but a brillant heart creates films, characters, stories like Tim."