Nobody's Fool

1994 "In a town where nothing ever happens... everything is about to happen to Sully."
7.3| 1h50m| R| en| More Info
Released: 23 December 1994 Released
Producted By: Paramount
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Info

Sully is a rascally ne'er-do-well approaching retirement age. While he is pressing a worker's compensation suit for a bad knee, he secretly works for his nemesis, Carl, and flirts with Carl's young wife Toby. Sully's long- forgotten son and family have moved back to town, so Sully faces unfamiliar family responsibilities. Meanwhile, Sully's landlady's banker son plots to push through a new development and evict Sully from his mother's life.

Genre

Drama, Comedy

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Director

Robert Benton

Production Companies

Paramount

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Nobody's Fool Audience Reviews

UnowPriceless hyped garbage
Baseshment I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.
Ariella Broughton It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.
Kaelan Mccaffrey Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.
Peter Kettle Nobody's Fool is an excellent film of a superior novel, old fashioned in some ways, and yet homespun and timeless; a rough edged version of Norman Rockwell, who I do not mention as a criticism. With Philip Seymour Hoffman almost unrecognisably young, as the local cop; and Melanie Griffith, delicate and emotional, vulnerable, and sweet on Sully, the main character, played by Paul Newman. Jessica Tandy, a fine actor, born in England, who emerged with a late acclaimed career in the States, and whose last film was this quiet undramatic and pitch perfect film. Tandy, a successful stage actor in Britain and America, was passed over for the screen role of Blanche DuBois, although she won a Tony for it on the New York stage. Bruce Willis reveals a different side of himself, outside his tough guy roles, and all the better for it. An array of great American character actors, people we see again and again, pop up throughout; playing cards, eating in the diner, truly supporting. Names like Philip Bosco, Josef Sommer, Dylan Walsh, Margo Martindale and Pruitt Taylor Vince; a solid, in depth, pack of North American talent. It is directed by Robert Benton who also wrote the screenplay.
writers_reign This is almost a definition of 'Indie' and it's the kind of movie that gives 'indie' a good name. Overall we retain an impression of superb ensemble acting yet when we look withing the ensemble we are hard put to dismiss any one performer as less than excellent - though if I had to ditch one it would be Ruby. It's more a less a given that Paul Newman is going to come out on top in virtually anything in which he appears but here he is given honorable opposition by Jessica Tandy, Bruce Willis and Melanie Griffith. The atmosphere of an upstate New York town in winter is evoked to a fare-thee-well and there is one superb shot reminiscent of a Breughel landscape with figures. Full marks for everyone concerned.
runamokprods This film wouldn't be nearly as successful without the wondrous understated performance by Newman. He plays Sully, a small town man who has long since lost his family due to his drinking, and who never amounted to much in life, but still has a sharp sense of humor, life, sexuality, and even rage burning in himself at age 60. It's also a genial slice of small town life, related to Benton's 'Places in the Heart', but less treacly, and with a less Hollywood spin. The characters (a terrific supporting cast including Jessica Tandy, and both Bruce Willis and Melanie Griffith doing some of the best work they've ever done) are off-beat, without it feeling like writer/director Benton was sweating hard to create 'quirky'. Nothing all that much happens in the film, yet people grow and change, just like in real life. Not quite a great film, but it still captures a sweet, almost Caprasque Americana, without becoming cloying. The movie, like Newman, never pushes hard, and that goes a long way.
Richard (richreed-1) Many reviewers have already cited the excellent acting and the sheer high quality of the movie, so I'll suffice to say I echo their sentiments. I will add that Bruce Willis earns respect as a real actor; his star was well towards its apex when he played this role which could really have been done by many character actors who specialize in playing weasels. Willis took this ordinary supporting role and made it into a very memorable and even likable character.What I love about this film is the story itself, in that Sully Sullivan, an aging handy-man, APPEARS to be struggling with his life and what it meant, when in reality an entire town depends on Sullly to be....well....Sully. He is the thread that weaves the whole town and its many stories together. Even the few people who don't like him depend on him.(Possible spoiler) Toward the end, his son sums it all up and even pays him the ultimate compliment when he says to Sully "It's not easy being you." Simply a great movie on so many levels.