Tenderness

Tenderness is a crime drama centred on Eric Poole, a young man released after serving a sentence for killing his parents. Detective Cristofuoro, a veteran officer nearing retirement, is convinced Eric remains dangerous and follows him rather than let the case go. Into that pursuit steps Lori, a fifteen-year-old runaway who has followed Eric's story and becomes drawn to him, ending up in his car as he travels toward a destination of his own. The film sets the detective's certainty against a teenager's fascination, with a third life caught between them.

John Polson directed, working from a screenplay by Emil Stern. It is the third feature Polson directed, following Swimfan and Hide and Seek. Russell Crowe plays Detective Cristofuoro, with Jon Foster as Eric, Sophie Traub as Lori, Laura Dern as Teresa and Michael Kelly as Gary among the cast.

Released in January 2009, the film runs 101 minutes. On TMDB it holds a rating of 5.2 out of 10 from 131 votes, which points to a modest response rather than a broadly embraced one. A credited cast of 22 and crew of 58 indicates a mid-sized production, mounted by Lionsgate with GreeneStreet Films, Ideal Partners and Hanson Allen Films. It sits between Polson's earlier studio thrillers and the later part of his directing work.