It's easy enough to overlook the qualities of Victor Nunez's new film in today's over hyped movie market. Deceptively old-fashioned, it's an emotionally quiet but highly rewarding psychological portrait of a taciturn, aging beekeeper (marvelously played by Peter Fonda in his richest performance to date), forced to emerge out of his solitary life and maturely face his familial responsibilities as the father of an imprisoned son and grandfather of two young girls, ruthlessly abandoned by their drug-addict mother.
Ulee's Gold doesn't match Victor Nunez' previous film, the luminous character study “Ruby in Paradise,” but its depth and integrity are still unparalleled in both Hollywood and the indie film scene.
Delicately integrating Florida's distinctive landscape, spirit and mood into the narrative, this fully realized complex drama represents American regional cinema at its very best.
Oscar Alert
Oscar Nominations: 1
Actor: Peter Fonda
Oscar Context
In 1997, Peter Fonda competed for the Best Actor Oscar with Jack Nicholson, who won (for “As Good As It Gets”), Matt Damon (“Good Will Hunting”), Robert Duvall (“The Apostle”), and Dustin Hoffman (“Wag the Dog”).