Nobody's Fool (1994)

recommended

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

I'm too much of a classic movie buff for my own good. I just can't accept a movie that starts with Paul Newman asking a woman to run away to Hawaii with him, she laughs him off, and he ends his speech with a dejected, depressed, "Hang in there," before ending the scene.In Nobody's Fool, Paul Newman plays a limping old-timer who drinks and plays cards with his friends, and hits on his buddy's wife. If someone else was cast in the lead, maybe I could have seen it with a more open mind, but when Jessica Tandy scolds heartthrob Paul Newman for not walking fast enough, it just breaks my heart. If you don't feel the same way about him, you can try to get through it, but it's still not very good. It very clearly came from the 90s, which in this case isn't a good thing. The irredeemable scoundrel friend, the harmless flirting, the unrealistic quips between father and son, the gratuitous Melanie Griffiths nude scene, the no-good, over-the-hill guy who changes his ways for no good reason. . . See what I mean?

"Nobody's Fool" is a good film from 1994. It is currently available on NetFlix Instant Download Streaming. The director is Robert Benton. The novel is by Richard Russo, and the screenplay is by Robert Russo.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 recommend this film. I gave it 6 stars. Dale Haufrect

An aging blue-collar worker tries to bond with the adult son that he abandoned as a child. This low-key, small-town character study has its moments but it doesn't quite come together, mainly due to the shortcomings of the rambling script by director Benton. The interaction among the characters is not interesting enough to make up for the lack of a plot. Perhaps a little more humor and less sentimentality would have helped. Newman is always worth watching, but it's a little awkward watching his romantic overtures towards Griffith, more than 30 years his junior. Tandy turns in a fine farewell performance after a sixty-year career.

Small, depressed working class towns are grittier than the one portrayed here. But to the script's credit, there is at least one reference to gritty reality, which was the violence of the Newman character's drunken father during Sully's (Newman)childhood.The essentially mild-mannered characters and sappy Irish flute music throughout, neutered the grit. Having said that, I still loved this film.If you stay in a small town, a portion of the same characters you knew in your childhood, will continue to populate your world. You all grow old together. Hence it was not strange to me that our main character rents a room from his old Junior High teacher. If your parents and your teachers live long enough, you will all be Senior Citizens together eventually.The character is "Nobody's Fool," because he sees through people, and even ultimately sees through himself. It took him a lifetime to arrive at this level of wisdom, and he's still working on it, but don't try to trick him. He respects honesty.What I got from this movie was that people are multi-dimensional, and a small town creates a kind of welcome interdependence, that often breeds a caring nature.Newman's character did not require acting out extreme emotion. There are many scenes of him quietly contemplating what someone just said, and what it means about himself. But he did have to portray a sort of quiet resolve about his fate, and he did it well.I also like his portrayal of a man who despite being a Senior with "a bad knee and no prospects," still longed for sex, money, love, companionship, and redemption. I'm sure there are subtle acting techniques involved in such a portrayal, that are harder than they seem.The two nudity scenes are gratuitous, but fun for men. I suppose seeing Bruce Willis shirtless may bring some joy to women.Jessica Tandy could have delivered a hackneyed portrayal of a spirited old lady, but instead balanced the traits of vulnerability and optimism perfectly.Bruce Willis and Melanie Griffith played themselves basically, but that's o.k., because a lot of us enjoy their appealing screen presence.Taylor Pruitt Vance has done this role before, but that does not detract from the palpable emotion he conveys with the sad eyes of his nowhere man.Dylan Walsh brings a fresh face and attitude to the screen. His character is taking in the portrait of his boyhood home with a grain of salt and wide eyes, while he reconciles with his father. I'm o.k. with the choice of Walsh as the son, although I suppose other actors could have brought a different take. I appreciated his portrayal of a grown man who is still hurting from abandonment issues.There was plenty of good dialog too. I particularly liked a line or two from the little boy, and the exchange between Bruce Willis and Newman, when Willis says he hopes he doesn't wind up like Newman.In summary, manipulative music, "softie" characters, and a few clichés, but still a very satisfying and thoughtful picture. I highly recommend it.