Nobody's Fool (1994 film)

Nobody's Fool
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Robert Benton
Produced by	Arlene Donovan Scott Rudin
Written by	Robert Benton
Based on	Nobody's Fool by Richard Russo
Starring	Paul Newman
Music by	Howard Shore
Cinematography	John Bailey
Editing by	John Bloom
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date(s)	December 23, 1994 (1994-12-23)
Running time	110 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Nobody's Fool is a 1994 American comedy-drama film based on the 1993 novel of the same name by Richard Russo. It stars Paul Newman, Jessica Tandy, Bruce Willis, Melanie Griffith, Dylan Walsh, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Gene Saks, Josef Sommer, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Philip Bosco. The film was written for the screen and directed by Robert Benton. It was Tandy's final film before her death on September 11, 1994.

Plot

Donald "Sully" Sullivan is something of an oddball in the peaceful and snowy New York village of North Bath. He free-lances in the construction business, usually with his dim-witted young friend Rub by his side, and is often at odds with Carl Roebuck, a local businessman, flirting with Carl's wife Toby openly at every opportunity.

Sully is a tenant in the home of Miss Beryl, whose banker son strongly urges her to kick the boarder out. Family complications of his own develop for Sully with a visit from Peter, his estranged son. While they reconstruct their relationship, Sully strikes up a new one with his young grandson Will.

Jailed for punching a police officer named Raymer who has been persecuting him, Sully's luck seems to be all bad. But in turn his son and grandson warm up to him, his fortune takes a turn for the better and even the lovely Toby expresses a willingness to leave Carl and run away with him. At the end of the film, Sully is pretty much back where he began, boarding at Miss Beryl's, but this time the picture of contentment.

Cast

• Paul Newman as Sully Sullivan
• Jessica Tandy as Beryl Peoples
• Bruce Willis as Carl Roebuck
• Melanie Griffith as Toby Roebuck
• Dylan Walsh as Peter Sullivan
• Pruitt Taylor Vince as Rub Squeers
• Gene Saks as Wirf Wirfley
• Josef Sommer as Clive Peoples Jr.
• Philip Seymour Hoffman as Officer Raymer
• Philip Bosco as Judge Flatt
• Catherine Dent as Charlotte Sullivan

Production

Nobody's Fool was filmed in the Hudson Valley, New York towns of Beacon, Fishkill, Poughkeepsie, and Hudson. The setting for both the book and movie, the Southern Tier, New York village of North Bath, is based on the village of Ballston Spa in Saratoga County.

Accolades

Nobody's Fool was nominated for two Academy Awards: Best Actor in a Leading Role (Newman) and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium.

External links

• Nobody's Fool at the Internet Movie Database