Robert Mitchum, Eleanor Parker, George Peppard and George Hamilton star in this family drama, directed by Vincente Minnelli. Mitchum has a bad reputation in his small hometown as an unfaithful husband to wife Parker and with other men's wives. He may even be shot by a jealous husband someday, I think somebody in the film said. Because of this and probably other reasons, Parker has been passively punishing him by withdrawing from him and withholding affection and attention. Hamilton is the son, babied by mama and practically ignored by daddy. But one day Mitchum decides Hamilton is to man-up, after Hamilton is a victim of one of the town's male citizens' pranks. Peppard is an employee of Michum's who works in the fields, does manual labor, etc. and basically goes wherever Mitchum goes. But there's a story there. This is the outline of this movie about a dysfunctional family and how they relate (or don't relate) to each other. I saw this back around 1997 or 1998 and I remember on the whole not liking it terribly much. I think I didn't like the dysfunction of the family and the miscommunication. But today, while I still don't consider it an entirely satisfying movie experience, I do appreciate the performances more and find the ending in a odd way very realistic. I read here in a few others' reviews that they consider this one of Minnelli's unsung classics; I do agree that it has the Minnelli touch with its grade-A production. But I think one's enjoyment of it depends on one's liking and involvement of the characters. "Home from the Hill" seems a bit played over the top in parts, but makes for a rather modest way of spending two hours and a half with good actors.

"Home from the Hill" is a 1960 big, sprawling film about the Hunnicut family, led by Robert Mitchum. Eleanor Parker plays his unhappy wife, George Hamilton plays his unhappy son Theron, and George Peppard plays a ranch hand named Rafe. Luana Patton is Theron's unhappy girlfriend Libby.Captain Wade Hunnicut is the wealthiest and most powerful man in the Texas town in which he lives, but he's a philanderer, which has made his wife Hannah turn against him. She has basically raised their son Theron because she agreed to stay with Wade on that condition. When Theron reaches his late teens, though, Wade changes his mind and decides to make a man out of him. This means learning to use a shotgun, hunt, and learn something about women, though Rafe sort of schools him in that.Theron, however, finds out a family secret and grows to loathe his father and reject him. There are other complications as well concerning Theron's girlfriend Libby Halstead and her father (Everett Sloane).This film plays out like a big soap opera but it holds one's interest. The accents are a little broad - in one scene it almost sounded like they were playing a game of one-oneupmanship as to whose accent was the broadest.Younger people probably don't realize that George Hamilton had a film career. He was young, handsome, and could brood with the best of them. Today he parodies himself, having realized his limitations as an actor, though he's always been extremely likable. In this film, actually, he's quite good, in part thanks to Minnelli's direction.George Peppard, on the other hand, always took himself very seriously and turns in an excellent performance as Rafe, a man carrying around a lot of hurt but won't let anybody see it.Mitchum has a strong presence as Wade. He was a very charismatic actor and gives his character some real bite. Eleanor Parker has little to do, but her performance is that of a woman who, like Rafe, keeps the pain inside. It's a very subtle performance.The characters in this film are very well developed. It's a good script with fine direction by Vincent Minnelli, so you wouldn't expect less than very good-excellent.The ending of this film is satisfying, and the family drama rings true throughout. Recommended.

This is a well made typical genre movie that features some solid emotions and characters and offers some well written plot elements.It's a coming of age movie but it also is a (melodramatic) family drama. These type of movies really had been popular in the past and most of them also are really great ones to watch. Too bad they just don't make movies such as these anymore. This movie might not be the best in its genre but it has more than anything other elements in it to compensate for this.One of them most definitely is the cast. Robert Mitchum once again gives away one fine performance. The movie also features a great and still young looking George Hamilton and George Peppard, though Mitchum on the other hand still looks the way he did 20 years before this movie.The movie handles all of the genre elements really well and know to bring it in a good and original way. Definitely a surprising movie from Vincente Minnelli, who got his fame for directing other type of- and less serious movies. I especially like the way George Hamilton's character gets developed and changes throughout the movie, from a mothers-child to a real adult. It was also great how they handled the Robert Mitchum character. They make him not-likable but at the same time also intriguing and interesting enough to not hate him. It's sort of too bad that they made the mistake to let his character slowly disappear out of the movie for most of the last third of the movie, while he starts off as the main character. The movie does a good job at portraying the relationships between the characters, which is an essential part for movies such as these.Despite the fact that the movie its story definitely has soap-opera like dramatic developments in it, you still get drawn in to it, which is I think due to the interesting characters and actors that portray them. It keeps the movie real.The movie is set in the South of the United States, which gives the movie that special kind of- and warm atmosphere. Its sets, costumes and props all add to this. The time period the movie is set in also definitely benefits the movie. The movie also has a surprising good and likable musical score, by Bronislau Kaper.Worth seeing if you get the chance to.8/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

I loved this movie! I saw it originally as a teenager and am still in love with it today. If they ever do a remake of it, I'd love to play Eleanor Parkers, part! Robert Mitchum was at his all time best, as this truly lovable yet misguided man of the world. George Peppard can still make women fall in love with him, 47 years later and I don't believe George Hamilton ever gave a better performance. Luana Patton was believable as the scared teenager in love. As a whole, I'd say it was one of the best movies of 1960, if not of all time. This is southern life and love at it's best. If you play close attention, you'll see a lot of older character actors, Denver Pyle, for instance, that make the movie seem real, as though you were in Texas, living through the heartache and break with them, great performances by all!