Blake Peterson 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.

Dale Haufrect "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

tieman64 This is a brief review of "Nobody's Fool" (1994) and "Twilight" (1998), two films by director Robert Benton, both starring Paul Newman.The better of both films, "Nobody's Fool" stars Newman as Donald Sullivan, an elderly man who lives in small-town America. Perpetually down on his luck, "Fool's" first act watches as Sullivan struggles to claim unpaid wages. For the next hour, things only get worse for Sully: he loses bets, loses money, almost loses his leg, is revealed to be estranged from his family and gets thrown into jail.The film's great joke, though, is that Sully is never sullen. Always giving as good as he gets, Sully repeatedly steals machinery from his boss, and flirts with his bosses wife (Melanie Griffith). As the film progresses, we the audience also begin to appreciate just how many people rely upon the "unlucky" Sully, how lucky they are to have him in their lives, and how upstanding a guy he is when compared to many others in his community.Which is not to say Sully is without flaws. Indeed, "Nobody's Fool's" climax features the usual "improvements" and "reconcilliations" typical of the genre. Sully learns to be a better man, a better father, and attempts to correct mistakes in others he once committed himself. This is all painfully routine. Where the film shines is in Newman's lovable performance, Benton's ceaselessly witty dialogue, and his willingness to sympathise with major and minor characters which lesser films typically villainize.Released four years later, "Twilight" again stars Newman. This time he plays Harry Ross, an ex-cop and one-time private detective. Like "Nobody's Fool", the film's first act watches as Newman damages his leg. Again like "Nobody's Fool", the film then begins to question the impotency and disloyalty of its lead character.Throughout "Twilight", Newman plays a now familiar archetype: the ageing private detective. He's an old timer, washed up, and mocked by all. To make matters worse, everyone believes that Ross lost his penis in a gunfight. Ross' presumed impotency is mirrored to the film's other ageing characters: a washed up actress (Susan Sarandon) in her twilight years, and a dying actor (Gene Hackman), both of whom are friends with Ross. The film's moral dilemma hinges around all three characters. Did Hackman and Sarandon collude to kill a man, is Ross helping them, and more importantly, will he cover-up a murder to protect a friend? To say anymore would be to spoil the fun."Twilight" is set in California, home of many great sun-bleached noirs. It's also home to Benton's earliest noir, "The Late Show", a 1977 feature which starred Art Carny as Ira Wells, an ageing private detective who, like Harry Ross, is accused of being long past his sell-by date. Both films allow their ageing heroes one final blaze of glory. Both films are also unable to transcend the conventions of their genre. "Twilight's" climax in particular is rife with clichés.8.5/10 - See "Cutter's Way" and "Flesh and Bone" (1993).

runamokprods This film wouldn't be nearly as successful without the wondrous understated performance by Newman. He plays Sully, a small town man who has long since lost his family due to his drinking, and who never amounted to much in life, but still has a sharp sense of humor, life, sexuality, and even rage burning in himself at age 60. It's also a genial slice of small town life, related to Benton's 'Places in the Heart', but less treacly, and with a less Hollywood spin. The characters (a terrific supporting cast including Jessica Tandy, and both Bruce Willis and Melanie Griffith doing some of the best work they've ever done) are off-beat, without it feeling like writer/director Benton was sweating hard to create 'quirky'. Nothing all that much happens in the film, yet people grow and change, just like in real life. Not quite a great film, but it still captures a sweet, almost Caprasque Americana, without becoming cloying. The movie, like Newman, never pushes hard, and that goes a long way.