Customer Reviews

Tim [VHS]

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This is by far the most under acknowledged film of Mel Gibson's (and Piper Laurie's) career. The scenery of Australia and the poignant plot combine to create a touching and very convincing story. Piper Laurie portrays a middle-aged, dour, executive named Mary Horton, we assume she is a widow, who by happenchance hires Tim Melville (Mel Gibson) to do the gardening around her home. Tim is much younger than Mary, and is very aware that he is "not the full quid". When Tim's mother suddenly dies, his father asks Mary to watch over Tim, and if the father should die, Mary is to take over Tim"s care. Mary agrees, but doesn't realize she has already fallen in love with Tim.
The film's cinematography has few long shots, so the glimpses of Australia's beautiful eastern shoreline are few and far between, and some scenes are not well lighted, but our imaginations work overtime and catch us up into the world of this romance. Mel Gibson is very convincing as Tim, and by the end of the film you see a maturity in his character that leaves you wanting to delve further into the life of Mary and Tim. I believe this interpretation of Colleen McCullough's book is one of the best portrayals I've seen. It is my number one favorite of Mel Gibson's work, right next to "The man without a face" and "Forever Young".

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."

This movie is based on the Colleen Mc Cullough book of the same name. In this movie a young Mel Gibson plays Tim who as they continually point out in this movie "is not the full quid". In other words he is Mentally Challenged which I hope is the Polictically Correct Term . I can't think of a better actor suited to this role than Mel Gibson. Mel meets up with a lonely older woman played by Piper Laurie who wants his body and presumably not his mind. One has to wonder what would have happened if he sex roles in this film were reversed. Imagine a dirty old man seducing a young Mentally Challenged Girl? I can hear the screams of protest already.

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 Collen 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.