What to Stream: Paul Newman Plays an Artful Codger in 'Nobody's Fool'
Nobody’s Fool (1994) Netflix, Amazon Instant, iTunes
The Basics: Small-town drama-comedy. Stars Paul Newman, Bruce Willis, and Melanie Griffith. Directed by Robert Benton (Kramer vs. Kramer)
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The Nugget: An amiable charmer — set in a blue-collar village in rural New York — anchored by a wonderfully understated (and Oscar-nominated) turn by Newman.
One of the great joys of watching a late-period performance from Paul Newman is observing how comfortable he appeared to be in his own aging skin. In this gentle, funny and subtly touching film — long on character, light on plot — Newman looks like he’s thoroughly enjoying himself playing Donald “Sully” Sullivan, a hapless small town loser dealing with the wayward demands of family and friends, limited employment, and the ravages of time. Director/writer Benton surrounds Newman with a troupe of equally reliable top actors, all seeming to revel in being allowed to bring a small story to vibrant life: As Newman’s kindly landlady (and former grade-school teacher), Jessica Tandy, sparks all of her scenes in her final film, and Bruce Willis and Melanie Griffith — as an unhappily married couple — are surprisingly effective. And in the “before they were stars” department, Margo Martindale pops up as a weary bartender, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman is a luckless policeman. The perfect, very human anti-blockbuster to cleanse your palate during blockbuster season.
Photo credit: © Everett Collection
