Nobody's Fool
A yummy Thanksgiving Movie Treat for you to enjoy this holiday!
Nobody's Fool is one of the last great headlining vehicles for Paul Newman, who here stars as an upstate New York construction-worker hustler in constant conflict with a contractor (Bruce Willis) whose wife (Melanie Griffith) he fancies. His routine is upended by the arrival of his estranged son (Dylan Walsh) around Thanksgiving, leading to an amusing (and disarming) holiday-set character study about loneliness, reconciliation, and the unexpected ways people achieve contentment.
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Donald "Sully" Sullivan (Paul Newman) is a construction worker in upstate Bath, New York, divorced and estranged from his wife and son for the past 25+ years. Sully lives as a tenant in the home of a former, now very elderly, school teacher, Mrs. Beryl Peoples (Jessica Tandy), and he keeps an eye on Ms. Beryl and her house. He bets on the same Trifecta every week, he drinks and often loses at poker. Sully has an odd assortment of friends and enemies who think he is either hellbent or crazy. Carl Roebuck (Bruce Willis, who did not appear in the pre-film credits) inherited Tip Top Construction, his father's company; Carl refuses to pay worker's compensation for Sully's legitimate "off books" job injury. Carl has even less integrity in his personal life; he flaunts a bimbo in front of his wife, Toby (Melanie Griffith), and laughs at Sully. But Toby likes Sully, and he likes her. He's certain Toby is the best looking lady in all of Bath. Mrs. Beryl trusts Sully more than she trusts her own son, who is the bank president. Sully's bitter son, David (Dylan Walsh), and grandson, Will, return to town, and Sully suddenly realizes that he is a grandfather. This is a baby step; it will take time to mend the rift with his son. Sully begins to appreciate the several friends, including Toby, about whom he cares. As progressively great things start to happen, Sully learns a wise man can make his own luck, and Sully is nobody's fool.
*Movie information in Story Line, Details and Cast sections from IMDb and/or Amazon Movies.
Genres: Drama, Comedy
Release Date: January 13, 1995 Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) Rating: R (Restricted)
Director: Robert Benton
Studio: Paramount
Review:
"Perfection!"
7 December 2001 | by Rick Blaine (London) –
In my eyes, quite possibly, this is one of the most perfect movies ever made with a stellar cast acting as you would expect them to, when you want them to, and acting completely out of character when you'd least expect it and enjoy it most. Look for a brilliant Melanie Griffith, a brilliant Bruce Willis, a fantastic ensemble all around, and at the centre — the wonderful Jessica Tandy and the immortal Paul Newman in the role of his life. There is a point to this movie, painted in such subtle brush strokes, that you just have to exclude all else. What can I say? Enjoy it, and let it warm your heart.
Starring:
Paul Newman, Jessica Tandy, Bruce Willis
Supporting Actors:
Melanie Griffith, Dylan Walsh, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Gene Saks, Josef Sommer, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Philip Bosco, Catherine Dent, Alexander Goodwin, Carl J. Matusovich, Jay Patterson, Jerry Mayer, Angela Pietropinto, Alice Drummond, Margo Martindale, Angelica Page, Richard Mawe