Tender Mercies

Betty Buckley co-starred in Horton Foote's 1983 film about a country singer (Robert Duvall) who finds the inspiration to move on with his life when he meets a young widow and her son. Duvall won an Oscar for his performance, and the cast also included Tess Harper, Allan Hubbard, Ellen Barkin, WIlford Brimley, Lenny Von Dohlen and Paul Gleason; Bruce Beresford directed.

Cut Scenes

Among the scenes that were cut from the release print, two especially give depth and purpose to the relationship between Dixie and Sue Anne, and serve to draw the line between Mac's past and present in a very black and-white way. In the final edit, without these insights, the Dixie/Sue Anne storyline becomes a sub-plot, we never get to fully experience the pair's effect on Mac (or each other for that matter), and the focus of the film clearly shifts to the Mac/Rosa Lee storyline:

Sc. 70 INT. - DIXIE'S DRESSING ROOM - NIGHT

She is changing her clothes. SUE ANNE AND HARRY come in.

DIXIE (to Sue Anne)
I told you to wait up here in my dressing room when you weren't out front watching the show.

SUE ANNE
I'm sick of watching the show. I've seen it a hundred times.

DIXIE
Then stay up here.

SUE ANNE
I don't want to sit around by myself.

DIXIE
Then watch T.V.

SUE ANNE
I'm sick of that too.
(She starts out.)

DIXIE
Where are you going?

SUE ANN
I'm going back to the hotel.

DIXIE
Why?

SUE ANNE
To change my clothes. I've got a date tonight.

DIXIE
Who with?

SUE ANNE
None of your business.

DIXIE
God damn it! What do you mean it's none of my business?

HARRY
Now, come on, Honey. Don't get excited. You still have the rest of the show to do.

DIXIE
She's going on no date unless I know who she's going with.

SUE ANNE
Try and stop me!
> (DIXIE grabs her. SUE ANNE yanks her arm free and runs out. DIXIE follows to the door.)

DIXIE
(screaming) Sue Anne...Sue Anne...Sue Anne...
(She turns to Harry)
Harry, go after her. Tell her I said she'd better get back here and get back here fast.
(He runs out after her.)

Sc. 99 EXT. - DIXIE'S HOTEL ROOM

She and HARRY are there

HARRY
Come on, honey. Time for bed.

DIXIE
No. I won't go to bed until my baby is home and safe. I know who she's with, you know. I'm gonna warn that musician to stay away from her or I'm gonna fire him.
(PAUSE) Oh, it's always something...

HARRY
I'm almost sorry I told you about them, but I thought you should know.

DIXIE
I'm glad you did.

(a pause) What was the name of that damn song Mac sent me?

HARRY
I forget.

DIXIE
Let me see it.

HARRY
I took it back to him like you told me to.

DIXIE
Wasn't any good,was it?

HARRY
I didn't think so. Not for you, anyway...

DIXIE
What do you mean, not for me? You think it's good for somebody?

(Sue Anne enters)
Were you out with that musician again?

SUE ANNE
Yes.

DIXIE
I told you not to see him anymore.

SUE ANNE
I told you I was going to. I'm going to be a singer and he's going to help me.

DIXIE
How are you going to be a singer? You have to have a voice, you know, to be a singer.

SUE ANNE
I have a voice.

DIXIE
You do not. You have no voice at all. None.

SUE ANNE
Of course, you don't think so. You're jealous of me, because I'm young and you're old. But I'm going to show you I can sing every bit as good as you can.
She goes in her room, slamming the door.

DIXIE
Harry, tell her I said to march herself back out here.
He goes to the door and tries to open it.

HARRY
It's locked.
DIXIE goes to it. She pounds on the door.

DIXIE
(screaming)
Sue Anne...Sue Anne...Open the door. You hear me?
Open the door....