User reviews

Newman uses a lifetime of acting experience to give a burnished, affecting portrayal of Sully, a dysfunctional father and husband who is basically well-intentioned but has never been able to connect with anyone or live up to his responsibilities. His family arrives back in town and he begins the long-delayed process of reconnecting with his son and grandsons.

Like "Mr. & Mrs. Bridge" of a few years back, this is a low-key, slice-of-life drama, a type of film that can be deadly dull in the wrong hands but which in this case, under director Robert Benton's guidance, and aided by a fabulous script and wonderful cast, is totally engrossing.

The script is spare and lean and all the more effective for that. It never goes for heavy emotional effects, but makes its points in a powerfully understated way. The many moments of humor stand out in high relief. Excellent acting all around (this was one of Jessica Tandy's last films; also in the cast are Bruce Willis, a better actor than he is generally given credit for, and Melanie Griffith). The feeling of life in a down-at-the-heels northeast U.S. town in midwinter is superbly brought across; the movie has a real 'lived-in' atmosphere.

A definite A+.

What a gem! Apparently this film did have a theatrical run, but I had never heard of it until I saw it on cable a few years ago. Paul Newman was, as always, masterful. So was Jessica Tandy. As unlikeable as Bruce Willis is, he is a great actor and does very well here. And even though it was a fairly small part, I think this is Melanie Griffith's best work ever. The script, directing, everything came together seamlessly. I highly rcommend this film. Grade: A

Paul Newman is "Nobody's Fool" in this 1994 film also starring Jessica Tandy, Bruce Willis, Melanie Griffith, Dylan Walsh and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Newman magnificently portrays Sully, a 60-year-old man living in a small town in upstate New York. He has a bad knee; he's suing his boss, the hard living Carl Roebuck (Bruce Willis) for back wages; he flirts with the boss' wife Toby (Melanie Griffith); he rents from his old school teacher Beryl Peoples (Jessica Tandy) who depends on him; he plays poker and drinks at the local bar; and he plays the Trifecta every day. When his son Peter (Dylan Walsh) comes to town, Sully has to come face to face with the man he abandoned as a child, as well as his ex-wife. (The scene where he sneaks out of her house as everyone screams at each other is a riot.) He gets to know his little grandson, bonding with him as he never did the boy's father. Sully, who in his own way has been taking care of a lot of people in town - and driving some other ones crazy - learns the importance of a family connection and what it entails.

A marvelous script, a marvelous cast, great direction by Robert Benton - "Nobody's Fool" is a small movie with a big message about life. Newman portrays Sully with all of his complexities. He's more a son to Beryl than her own son. He takes care of his workmate Grub (Pruitt Taylor Vance) as he never did his own son. He is there for Toby as she talks about Carl's infidelities, but he was never there for his own wife. What's most wonderful about the script is how character-driven it is and how all its messages come out of the characters. The audience is not beaten over the head with them. When Sully speaks bitterly about his late father, he turns to Peter and says, "That's what you'll say about me when I'm gone." "You were gone, dad," Peter says. "I've already said it." Yet the two men try, without ever verbalizing that they are trying. He's there for Tandy, without a sentimental scene.

Tandy is excellent as a woman who fears the loss of her independence, and fans of Nip/Tuck will get a kick out of seeing Dylan Walsh as he was 14 years ago with his mop of hair. He does very well in his role. Bruce Willis is amazing - relaxed, funny, cheating with a smile. Philip Seymour Hoffman, before stardom hit, has a hilarious role as a policeman trying to nail Sully and not having much luck.

You can't really call what Newman does acting because you won't catch him doing it - he just IS Sully. He creates an unforgettable character in this must-see film.

Paul Newman's (Oscar-nominated) amazing performance as a small-town man who tries to bring his somewhat meaningless life together is a real triumph in this fine motion picture from director Robert Benton. Newman is exploited throughout by boss Bruce Willis, but takes it all in stride as he flirts with Willis' beautiful wife (Melanie Griffith). When son Dylan Walsh and his family moves back to town, Newman must finally come to terms with his family and take responsibilities that he has ignored for the duration of his life. Jessica Tandy shines in her swan song. A really great homage to Newman, one of Hollywood's very best from any era. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Newman is acting just perfectly in this small town movie in his role as a 60 years old man who has not achieved much in his life, but begins to realize this when his son, whom he hasn't seen since he left his family, shows up with his kids, Newman's grandsons. The complicated (or maybe not so complicated) married life of Willis and Griffith add to the plot. Some quite witty scenes and lines make you laugh heartily, although the film's general tone is more on the serious side.

I can feel this movie deep inside. It is a reflection of the type of characters I have known and it relates well to real life situations that every working stiff goes through. Newman easily fits the character of Sully. Haven't most people seen these characters in any town anywhere in this country. The production is well performed by all and has good locations. There is just enough humor in it so that it balances the harder things in life. A chance to laugh at frailties and unsung heroes. I get the feeling that I am right there with these guys and would like to cry in my beer with them. It is worth watching over and over and it could almost become a seasonal classic. I have given this movie to friends as a gift and recommend it highly.

As he got older, Newman's talent displayed itself more and more easily. In this film, it's as if he puts on the role like a comfortable set of old clothes that fits him perfectly. His acting doesn't show - by which I mean, he becomes the character rather than acting it out in an obvious way. When you insert that smooth display into a well-written story that includes several other, excellent performances, you get a top-notch result. None of the directing or acting is lacking, nor does it ever feel forced or overdone. There's humor as well as sadness, small victories along with disappointments, and touching sentiment along with strength and honor. All in all, it's slice of life theatre done very well.

I have a theory that everyone remains a teenager until they day they die. Not the teenagers of the "Porky" franchise or the airheads of "Clueless" necessarily, but the mature, emotionally headstrong old souls of "The Breakfast Club" and "Flirting". Some grown-up teenagers are more jaded, considerate, and successful than others, while the remaining irresponsible hooligans look like adults but, in a "Shallow Hal"-ish twist, are actually fifteen- year-olds still in search of an identity. Look at those middle-aged men and women with graying hair taking your order at Wendy's: are they not a regretful little girl or boy who doesn't quite realize they're trapped in an adult's body?

Sully (Paul Newman) belongs in the camp of the charismatic loners who never took the time to accept their responsibilities and actually grow up. He has freelanced in the construction industry his entire life, most recently making the most of his aging body by suing Carl Roebuck (Bruce Willis), the local contractor, to get extra pocket change. Years ago, Sully left his family at an important time, leaving his now grown son (Dylan Walsh) emotionally stunted, his ex-wife understandably jilted — why he did it is hard to explain. Commitment was never very attractive to him, and having a family hardly supplemented his lone wolf instincts. Part of his psyche is tarnished by guilt, but the other side reminds him, time and time again, that being a father, a husband, was never for him anyway.

Currently, Sully rooms with his former eighth grade teacher, the elderly Beryl Peoples (Jessica Tandy), and passes the time doing dirty work around town and flirting with Carl's long suffering wife (Melanie Griffith). This has been his routine for years, decades even. So when his son comes to town, his wife and kids in tow, Sully is forced, after years of ignoring his most personal problems, to decide whether or not he wants to make up for lost time and finally become the father his son deserved, or ignore the facts and continue living in his own form of sheltered reality.

Paul Newman, even when playing the bad guy (a rare case), has never done anything besides be likable. In "Cool Hand Luke", he was a should-have-been tarnished anti-hero; in "The Verdict", he was an alcoholic grouch who felt it necessary to punch Charlotte Rampling right in the kisser after she betrayed him. Fact is, even when portraying a man at his lowest point, Newman has always been the guy you want to be friends with, the guy who wish was your father, your uncle, your grandfather. There is something starkly humble, and believably all-around good, about him, on screen or off.

In "Nobody's Fool", he plays a hustler we should, in our good senses, despise. Every character trait that shapes Sully is negative; what good has he done in his life besides make friends with barflies and keep his former teacher company? But damn it all to hell: it's impossible not to root for anyone portrayed by Newman. The film finds him nearing seventy, on the last legs of his long career. But hardly aged is his ability to give a face for the everyman, and, yes, the man-children who weren't fantastic youths but, hesitant or not, want to make up for it. Does "Nobody's Fool" provide for one of Newman's greatest performances? It's hard to say: he doesn't have to stretch his abilities like he has had to in the past. What he does do, though, is remind us why he is the movie star Hollywood, I'm sorry to say, can hardly muster today.

Robert Benton, whose "The Late Show" has recently become a favorite of mine, writes and directs. A filmmaker who seems to specialize in the complexities of human relationships ("Kramer vs. Kramer", "Places of the Heart"), "Nobody's Fool" is masterful in its characterizations: near instantly, each character feels completely drawn, as if we have known them for years, as if we have heard all the town gossip that surrounds them. The knotty relationship between Sully and Toby Roebuck (Griffith) especially rings true — both are so fiercely independent that their flirting with one another comes less from a romantic place and more out of a desperate one. So unhappy are they that a mutual affection comforts their lonely ills. Romance, though? It requires too much commitment and dedication, and both have been too scorned by the past to do anything about their already shaky feelings.

The characters of "Nobody's Fool" are almost abominably flawed, but we find their scarred personas more soothing than bothersome. We feel like we know these people, as if we also live in North Bath and have nothing better to do besides confide in our neighbor. Benton and his actors bring a world of lonely hearts startlingly to life; as messed up as they are, we want to be lonely with them.

My Rating : 7/10

Paul Newman, the blue-eyed devil goes to work on this emotional, loving story of his failure as a parent and his reconciliation with never wanting to grow up and how it has shaped everyone around him.

It's a nice drama with surprises which you would be hopeful of anticipating akin to a sweet suspense of how the movie will turn out given the issues.

It's a cute movie, look for it.

This movie has to be Paul Newman's most enjoyable, best acted, and heartwarming movie. Everyone works very well together, and give great performances(with the exception of Melanie Griffith, who thank god only had a small role!). Many heartwarming scenes between Newman and his Grandson. Also some funny moments(especially when Newman kept on steeling Bruce Willis' snowblower. This is a great movie to watch if you like Paul Newman or anyone else in the cast, or just like heartwarming films about family. ****1/2 ot of *****

'Nobody's Fool' showcases & salutes the impeccable talent of the Late/Great Paul Newman. The legendary actor delivers a career-best performance as an aging nobody, who realizes family values & comes clean at last. Newman's performance demonstrates this human-drama, with charisma & aura. Its a class act!

'Nobody's Fool' Synopsis: 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 & flirts with Carl's young wife Toby. Sully's long-forgotten son & family have moved back to town, so Sully faces unfamiliar family responsibilities.

'Nobody's Fool' is beautifully Written & Directed by Robert Benton. His Screenplay, which is based on the 1993 novel of the same name by Richard Russo, delivers a story of pure emotions & redemption. Its heartbreaking & heart-felt. His Direction, as usual, is subtle. He, however, should be credited the most for churning out Newman's greatest performance to date.

Performance-Wise: Its pretty evident that Newman is the life of the film. He's never been this good. Bruce Willis is efficient. Dylan Walsh gets some wonderful scenes with Newman & he enacts his part with sincerity. The Late/Great Jessica Tandy is restrained in a pivotal role, while The Late/Great Phillip Seymour Hoffman shines in a cameo.

On the whole, 'Nobody's Fool' proves, that Nobody's like Newman.

Nobody's Fool (1994)

A stunning mix of moving, touching performances and dialog with some awkward directing and editing. The movie feels a bit cheap or sloppy, even, and yet there are moments when it shines and when you feel its depth and it's potential.

And then there is Paul Newman. He's the lead throughout, the title character no doubt, and he gives an utterly convincing, nuanced, unflinching portrayal of a tough old guy in a small town. He isn't quite the lovable one that everyone loves despite his flaws--that would be too much of a cliché, and the movie avoids at least that one big cliché perfectly. With Newman's help. He's a bit too gruff and makes too many truly hurtful decisions to automatically make him a diamond in the rough, a sweetie with a leather exterior. But the viewer can see soon enough how genuine he is, thoroughly thoroughly genuine.

He doesn't coddle, he doesn't waffle. He knows what he's about. And he really is admirable for steadily getting small things done for the good of others, though you can hardly tell sometimes. The fact that he ignores common decency (like driving his pickup truck on the sidewalk) is not quite charming, but it adds to his honesty, ironically.

The rest of the cast sounds impressive but doesn't have nearly as much to do, not with any depth, though with sincerity in the performances. Bruce Willis has a role that constrains him more than you'd think, as a younger building contractor who is a bit of a rake. Jessica Tandy is a sharp, lovable older woman who rents to her upstairs to Newman. Melanie Griffith has a small role and is charming in her distinctive way, and we even see, briefly, Philip Seymour Hoffman in an unlikely role as the local cop.

The director (and screenwriter) is Robert Benton, who is best known (to me) as the director (and writer) for "Kramer vs. Kramer." I'm guessing it was because of that, and the kind of interpersonal story at stake, the allowed him to gather such an impressive cast. It would be a wild guess to understand why it doesn't quite work--my first inkling is merely that he was screen writing about someone else's original story and it was something he didn't know about first hand. Some of the lines are off, some of the humor gets silly, and in one or two cases you just want to say, no way.

Even with the elevating humor to the tale you expect it to maintain its realism which it mostly does. It's set in the mid-Hudson Valley, where I've lived for 30 years, and there were lots of familiar places. They got the feel of the little towns slightly down on their luck really nicely, and the damp cold of winter adds to the overall ambiance. (There are directing quirks here, too, like never plowing the streets, and anyone who lives in an area with snow knows that the main streets, and even the smaller ones, get plowed often and well. But hey, it looks good, all that white.)

What's to take away from this? A beautiful sense of integrity. The father-son dynamics are too forced to work, the seeming true friendships that exists or not between some characters isn't always fleshed out, and the weird relationship between Newman and Willis is crude and off-kilter. It's not a great film on many terms. But the development of Newman as a persona, as a type of person, is amazing. And he's amazing. Enough to see the movie just for his contribution.

I hate to be the one to tell you but this film is the sort of crap that Hollywood thinks is a film about "real" people ie the working class. And maybe the book, which I've not read, is about a real working class town but the film they made from it is so predictable, so covered in self-congratulatory ooze about its curmudgeonly hero and so bathed in hero-worship for Paul Newman that it becomes a Hallmark Hall of Fame special. And I like Paul. And his performance is fine but the whimsy is leaden and the "quirkiness" of the characters weighs you down with its lack of invention. For example: Has Pruitt Taylor Vince taken a patent out on his slobby slow sidekick who aches with human feeling. (see Heavy). Don't get me wrong (I'm sure you will anyway)...this is a well-made Hollywood product with good performances by all (I even thought Melanie Griffith was half-way believable) but the whole construct is made by cynical minds who want to neuter the people of this town with a treacly gloss that would have embarrassed Frank Capra. We all want to honor the memory of Paul Newman but this film is a poor memorial. Frankly I find it depressing that so many people thought this was a good film. TV has rotted your brain, people. Now go watch Hud as penance.

In my eyes quite possibly 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 and - what can I say - enjoy it, and let it warm your heart.

Now I can imagine where Clint Eastwood looked for some inspiration to play Frankie Dunn in his "Million Dollar Baby". Donald Sullivan, or Sully, is the main character of Robert Benton's "Nobody's Fool". Paul Newman is certainly no fool, and he plays Sully as a grumpy old man, unimpressed by anything or anyone, short of words and emotion. However, Sully describes himself as someone who "grows on people", and apparently every time he feels he's done something right, he hits the closest thing to him…Twice.

It's a wonderful performance by Newnan, whose character believes in luck. Well, while Frankie Dunn probably didn't, there's something that connects them both besides their human qualities (being grumpy may not be something nice, but it's still a quality), and that's the fact of living a life knowing they haven't been the best of fathers.

A movie like "Nobody's Fool", written and directed by someone as experienced as Robert Benton, is always going to be a winner, but it's interesting to know why. It may not be the easiest thing to develop an almost two-hour film in a small town where essentially, as it occurs in most movies of the type, nothing happens. But this statement is confusing, because a lot of things take place in "Nobody's Fool", that if you look at them from a greater scale, they're still nothing.

Benton takes the time and dedication to show us the lifestyle in this town, Bath, and the characters that inhabit it, more precisely the ones who are involved in Sully's life. That's how we meet his friends: the stubborn Rub (that Pruitt Taylor Vince), Wirf Wirfley (Gene Saks)- Sully's one-legged lawyer-, the old lady he lives with-and loves him more than he imagines- Mrs. Beryl (Jessica Tandy's last performance); and his enemies: his boss Car Roebuck (a charming Bruce Willis), who owes him a lot of money and cheats on his wife Toby (a beautiful Melanie Griffith), with whom Sally gets along well; and Raymer (a young and Great Philip Seymour Hoffman), a rookie police officer who wants to put him in jail because he doesn't pay traffic tickets and who knows what else.

As Sully himself says, he's a well-known, loved man; so that's why we are surprised when he encounters his son Peter (Dylan Walsh) and they both behave like total strangers. As I mentioned, a lot of things occur in the film and various plot lines are unfold, but there is always one that has to highlight above the rest. In "Nobody's Fool", that plot line is the father-son relationship, which comes with a grandson.

Luckily, as it happened with Eastwood in "Million Dollar Baby" years later, Newman has the expertise to take enough distance and keep the movie from turning into an intense melodrama. The script throws in a couple of dramatic scenes where the wrong actor could have taken it too far. Newman also takes advantage of the few funny lines he's given and establishes a distended mood of performance that affects the film, in which you can laugh. The truth is that Benton wrote a predictable and cheesy screenplay (and Howard Shore composed a predictable and cheesy score, however pleasantly 'little town-ish'), but somehow a certain honesty prevails.

Maybe it has something to do with Benton wanting to respect Richard Russo's homonymous novel, but "Nobody's Fool" is a winner because due to that respect we don't miss a thing and we believe and appreciate the things we see. Sully really grows on us too, and the same happens with his friends and even his enemies, who fight and steal things from each other, but at the end of the day meet at the same table, in the same bar, to play a good game of poker.

Sure, he's done a lot of other huge movies and lived a full life as a racing driver and a working philanthropist, but to me none of his work in the movies or on stage compares to this perfect swan-song film of 1994, Nobody's Fool. The nice thing about movies is that to appreciate them you only have to receive them: who cares how they come about or who makes it possible? (Tho of course we do care.) What distinguishes Nobody's Fool—not to mention it is literally Jessica Tandy's final film—is how the lead character Donald 'Sully' Sullivan is more like Paul Newman, the real person, than any other he's done (IMHO).

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For my complete review of this movie and for other movie and book reviews, please visit my site TheCoffeeCoaster.com.

Brian Wright Copyright 2008

Robert Benton has signed another masterpiece with this touching, refined and profound movie. The acting deserves tons of Oscars (Jessica Tandy and Paul Newman are amazing: the latest is acting one of his best roles). The support characters are excellent, so is the beautiful cinematography, the delightful dialogs and the screenplay. You OUGHT to watch this very underrated movie, woefully unknown. There is nothing cheesy about this aging man working on little odd jobs to make a living. He is known and tenderly loved by all his neighbors, even by his enemies. He is not flawless but has got a kind of wisdom through the simplicity of his life and through his attempt to correct the mistakes of his past. The character really grows on you so is this unpretentious art film.

The story about the redemption of Sully (Paul Newman) has a rough charm, well supplied by the setting and actors. North Bath feels like an updated Bedford Falls (minus George Bailey to save the day), a small town where citizens don't have a lot of choice in friends, so fences stay mended. They squabble and tease, but the talk is great fun, all quips and jabs and homespun wit.

Sully boards with Miss Beryl, whom Jessica Tandy imbues with equal parts elegance, grace, and steel. Bruce Willis is effortlessly funny as the shameless Carl Roebuck, Sully's boss and rival, and the serially unfaithful husband of Toby, played by Melanie Griffith stripped of sex-kitten mannerisms. She manages to be demure even when she flashes her perfect breasts at Sully. Pruitt Taylor Vince and Philip Seymour Hoffman bring plumb-dumb to sympathetic life, Vince with self-effacement, Hoffman with self-defense. And as Sully's family, Dylan Walsh and Alexander Goodwin are both utterly winning.

The problem is Sully. Not the performance; Newman is engaging. But Sully is one of those anti-heroes whom we are meant to like even though there's no good reason to. We're just supposed to go along with the crowd. Miss Beryl is protective of him (or tries to be). Toby enjoys flirting with him, and her husband Carl spars with him, but ultimately respects and hires him. He's given bad-boy stuff to do, like drugging a dog and driving on the sidewalk, but why? It isn't funny or entertaining, and it diminishes him.

Sully reunites with his son, Peter, whom he abandoned in infancy, totally: he hasn't seen the boy since. When Peter (now a father of two in a troubled marriage) asks why he left, all Sully does is mumble about his own bad marriage and then lay it on thick about his own childhood: his big "never sober" father who slaps his little mother hard enough to literally launch her across the room, then almost kills him when he intervenes. Brutality is amped to the max to jerk our tears, which is manipulation, not persuasion. My sympathies were firmly with Peter.

Child support is not mentioned, but given Sully's complete absence, his hand-to-mouth life, and his wife's remarriage, it's safe to assume he was a deadbeat dad. All in all, the way Sully is written, he's a loser. We're not supposed to notice, I assume, partly because everybody forgives him, but mostly because he's Paul Newman, who is loveable, which is cheating.

This is a rare movie, indeed. This is my favorite movie as well. I never understood people who actually purchased movies, for once I've seen a film, I'm usually done with it. I bought this one. I should say my wife bought it for me, three years ago, a used VHS, E-Bay copy, as a gift, not long after a discussion of our favorite movies.

Watched it again tonight, 'bout my fifth full viewing, gets me every time. Favoite scene: This movie is so beautifully woven, it's hard to choose, but the one that I always look forward to, is the scene where Sully lets Will steer the truck through town, "It's a nice truck" Will says. "Yeah, it is a nice truck" Sully says, smiling in a way that comes more from Paul than Sully. Truly rare.

Paul Newman starred in many brilliant films of which he bizarrely wasn't nominated for an Oscar . He was nominated for Nobody's Fool but I have the feeling that was more of a sympathy or guilt nomination from the academy .

Don't get me wrong , his performance is good , It was probably his last good performance in fact, but the film itself is a bit too fluffy for me.

Paul Newman a stubborn man past his prime reflects on his life of strict independence and seeks more from himself.

He realises that he's not been a great father , in fact no father at all , so perhaps he can make up for that ?

Considering this was nominated twice for academy awards it's surprising how it feels like a Sunday afternoon made for TV film.

That's not a criticism, it just feels like that and lots of people like those type of films.

Newman plays this role very naturally and I was pleased he didn't try to make this comedic.

It has its serious moments and it's lighthearted moments and it's very watchable .

There is a great cast . Bruce Willis ( who chews up the scenery) , Melanie Griffith, who gives us a nice little flash ! , A young Phillip Seymour Hoffman and the last ever performance from Jessica Tandy , in fact she died before it was released.

All in all , it's not a bad film but it was never going to pull up any trees .

Great chemistry, if you can believe it, between Newman and Tandy. (Not romantic.) But that's about it. Maybe I'm not the first to gripe that a 550-page book can't be turned into a 2-hour movie with everything intact. Notably, the female characters, who in the book are richly developed and major players, are nearly invisible here. (Even Tandy, playing the retired 8th-grade teacher who knows a little bit about everybody in town, is superficial -- reduced to the stereotypical wise old lady.) No mention of the Newman character's girlfriend; so little mention of his wife that her role isn't even credited. No Mrs. Gruber, sallying forth. No Rub's wife, who shoplifted enough from Woolworth to decorate an entire home. No Joyce, girlfriend of The Bank (Tandy's son). Hattie's funeral comes out of nowhere in the movie (it must baffle anyone who hasn't read the book).

Not to be a snob. On the contrary -- I almost never read novels, and never-ever read them just before seeing the movie. So perhaps this is a ho-hum complaint that wiser people have learned to deal with.