Nobody's Fool (1994)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Robert Benton

Writers (WGA):

Richard Russo (novel)
Robert Benton (screenplay)

Release Date:

13 January 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

In a town where nothing ever happens... everything is about to happen to Sully.

Plot:

Sully is a rascally ne'er-do-well approaching retirement age. While he is pressing a worker's compensation suit for a bad knee...

Plot Keywords:

Mother | Knee | One Legged Man | Snow | Stepfather

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Paul Newman	...	Sully Sullivan
Jessica Tandy	...	Beryl Peoples
Bruce Willis	...	Carl Roebuck
Melanie Griffith	...	Toby Roebuck
Dylan Walsh	...	Peter Sullivan
Pruitt Taylor Vince	...	Rub Squeers
Gene Saks	...	Wirf Wirfley
Josef Sommer	...	Clive Peoples Jr.
Philip Seymour Hoffman	...	Officer Raymer
Philip Bosco	...	Judge Flatt
Catherine Dent	...	Charlotte Sullivan
Alexander Goodwin	...	Will Sullivan
Carl J. Matusovich	...	Wacker Sullivan (as Carl John Matusovich)
Jay Patterson	...	Jocko
Jerry Mayer	...	Ollie Quinn
Angela Pietropinto	...	Cass
Alice Drummond	...	Hattie
Margo Martindale	...	Birdy
Angelica Torn	...	Ruby
Richard Mawe	...	Ralph
Joe Paparone	...	Rufus
Shannah Laumeister	...	Didi
John Leighton	...	Funeral Director
Kenneth Frawley	...	Horace Yaney
Marcus Powell	...	Whit
Frank W. Inness	...	Garbage Man
Page Johnson	...	C. W. Lomax
William Raymond Calhoun	...	Vernon
Bob Heitman	...	Lawyer from Albany
Drenda Spohnholtz	...	Girl at the Country Club
Gerry Robert Byrne	...	Charlie
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Anibal O. Lleras	...	Juror (uncredited)
Elizabeth Wilson	...	Vera (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Benton

Writing credits (WGA)
Richard Russo		(novel)
Robert Benton		(screenplay)

Produced by
Arlene Donovan	....	producer
Scott Ferguson	....	associate producer
Michael Hausman	....	executive producer
Scott Rudin	....	producer

Original Music by
Howard Shore

Cinematography by
John Bailey

Film Editing by
John Bloom

Casting by
Ellen Chenoweth

Production Design by
David Gropman

Art Direction by
Dan Davis

Set Decoration by
Gretchen Rau

Costume Design by
Joseph G. Aulisi

Makeup Department
Dale Bach-Siss	....	makeup artist: Bruce Willis
Roy Bryson	....	hair stylist
Alan D'Angerio	....	hair stylist: Ms. Griffith (as Alan Dangerio)
Naomi Donne	....	makeup artist: Ms. Griffith
Kim Santantonio	....	hair stylist: Bruce Willis
Monty Westmore	....	makeup artist: Mr. Newman

Production Management
Gerry Robert Byrne	....	post-production supervisor
Gerry Robert Byrne	....	unit supervisor
Michael Hausman	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joe Camp III	....	first assistant director
Chitra F. Mojtabai	....	second assistant director
Richard Oswald	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Rand Angelicola	....	scenic artist
Mark Bachman	....	scenic artist
Michael L. Benson	....	set dresser (as Michael Benson)
Ed Check	....	assistant art director
Daniel Finn	....	construction grip
David Scott Gagnon	....	set dresser
Peter Gelfman	....	lead man
Franklyn Gottbetter	....	construction shop manager
Sandy Hamilton	....	property master
Brent Haywood	....	construction foreman
Jennifer Krause	....	camera scenic artist
Jessica Lanier	....	assistant set decorator
Martin Lasowitz	....	assistant property master
Byron K. Lovelace	....	set dresser (as Byron Lovelace)
Ken Nelson	....	construction coordinator (as Kenneth D. Nelson)
Susan Paley	....	art department coordinator
Robert Topol	....	master scenic artist
M. Tony Trotta	....	camera scenic artist
Rick Butler	....	assistant art director (uncredited)
Will Scheck	....	greensperson (uncredited)

Sound Department
Lee Dichter	....	sound re-recording mixer
Sofia Dillot	....	apprentice sound editor
Jane McCulley	....	adr editor
Danny Michael	....	sound mixer
Eytan Mirsky	....	assistant sound editor
James H. Nau	....	assistant adr editor
Maurice Schell	....	supervising sound editor
Andrew Schmetterling	....	boom operator
Anthony Starbuck	....	cableperson
Louis Cerborino	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Richard P. Cirincione	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Laura Civiello	....	dialogue editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Rodman Kiser	....	special effects assistant (as Rod Kiser)
Tom Ryba	....	special effects

Stunts
Michael Brockman	....	stunts
Peter Bucossi	....	stunt coordinator
Roy Farfel	....	stunts
Gregg Smrz	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Phil Abraham	....	first assistant camera
Greg Addison	....	electrician
Robert M. Andres	....	rigging grip (as Bob Andres)
Robin Brown	....	first assistant camera
Don Cerrone	....	first company grip
Eugene C. DePasquale	....	grip (as Eugene De Pasquale)
Kenneth Fundus	....	dolly grip (as Ken Fundus)
Joseph Grimaldi	....	electrician
Bruce Hamme	....	dolly grip
Kerry Hayes	....	still photographer
Jonathan Herron	....	camera operator
Larry Huston	....	first assistant camera Steadicam
Jeremy Knaster	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Zbignew Kuros	....	location grip
Dominique Levy	....	camera trainee
Bobby Mancuso	....	second assistant camera
Larry McConkey	....	Steadicam operator
Peter A. Mian	....	video assist operator (as Peter Mian)
Mike Moyer	....	chief lighting technician
Bill O'Leary	....	chief lighting technician
Charles Quinlivan	....	rigging grip
John Rugalis	....	rigging electrician
Bobby Vercruse	....	electrician
Lee Vercruse	....	electrician
Paul Volo	....	grip
Paul Wachter	....	second company grip
Lamont Crawford	....	grip (uncredited)
Gábor Kövér	....	director of photography: second unit (uncredited)
Rick Marroquin	....	grip (uncredited)

Casting Department
Kim Davis	....	extras casting (as Kimberly Davis)
Jenny R. Evans	....	extras casting assistant
Avy Kaufman	....	additional casting
Jill Greenberg Sands	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bob Carrabs	....	costumer
Kendall Errair	....	costume supervisor
James Hammer	....	assistant costume designer (as Jim Hammer)
Benjamin Wilson	....	costume supervisor (as Ben Wilson)

Editorial Department
Terry Hager	....	color timer (as Terry Haggar)
John Steele Hill	....	assistant film editor
Antonia Van Drimmelen	....	associate editor

Music Department
Vic Fraser	....	music preparation
John Kurlander	....	music mixer
John Kurlander	....	music recordist
Mitch Miller	....	musician: "Silver Bells"
Suzana Peric	....	music editor
Nic Ratner	....	assistant music editor
Simon Rhodes	....	assistant recording engineer
Liz Schrek	....	music production coordinator
Howard Shore	....	conductor
Howard Shore	....	orchestrator
Graham Walker	....	music production supervisor

Transportation Department
Francis Connolly Jr.	....	transportation captain
Timothy Shannon	....	transportation co-captain
James Patrick Whalen Jr.	....	transportation coordinator (as James P. Whalen Jr.)
Ted Schambers	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Laura Berning	....	location assistant
Maria T. Bierniak	....	assistant location manager (as Maria Bierniak)
Karen Cahill	....	craft service
John 'JR' Craigmile	....	payroll accountant (as John 'J.R.' Craigmile)
Robert DaGasta	....	production assistant
Timothy Donohue	....	production assistant (as Tim Donohue)
Liz Dykhouse	....	assistant production accountant
Beau Flynn	....	assistant: Mr. Rudin
Marisa Forzano	....	assistant: Mr. Benton
Raul Gutierrez	....	assistant: Mr. Rudin
John A. Johnston	....	location foreperson (as John Johnston)
Lisa Layer	....	assistant: Ms. Donovan
Sondra Lee	....	dialogue coach
Ian MacGregor	....	production assistant
Eric Myers	....	publicist (as Eric Meyers)
Anne Nevin	....	production coordinator
Darice O'Mara	....	assistant: Mr. Newman
Evan Perazzo	....	production assistant
Angela Quiles	....	assistant production coordinator
Derick Richards	....	production assistant
Peter Riche	....	assistant: Mr. Rudin
Matthew Salvato	....	production assistant
Martin Solomon	....	typographer
Robin Squibb	....	script supervisor
Vincente Stasolla	....	production assistant
Daniel Strol	....	location manager
Catherine Talese	....	production assistant
Jay Traynor	....	production assistant
Matilde Valera	....	production accountant (as Matilde P. Valera)
Henry Wolf	....	title designer
Frank D. Woodward	....	caterer (as Frank Woodward)
Andrew Zolot	....	production assistant
Eric Zuckerman	....	production assistant
Chris Bagnall	....	location assistant (uncredited)
Stephen J. Eads	....	assistant: Bruce Willis (uncredited)
Willo Hausman	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Robert Lamkin	....	caterer (uncredited)
Michael Mendelsohn	....	production financing (uncredited)
Bill Timoney	....	adr voice group (uncredited)

Thanks
Marsha Rorales Gordon	....	thanks
Clara Lou Gould	....	thanks
John Johnson	....	thanks
Richard Russo	....	special thanks
Jessica Tandy	....	dedicatee

Production Companies

• Capella International
• Cinehaus
• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1994) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1998) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Transmundo Films (1995) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Transmundo Home Video (THV) (1995) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Emerald (2004) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Emerald (2004) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-edited)
• Paramount Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Emerald (2007) (Argentina) (DVD) (re-release)
• Paris Vídeo (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Sogepaq Distribución (Spain)

Other Companies

• Effects House, The  main and end titles
• For Stars Catering  catering
• J.G. Films  negative cutting
• Lansdowne Studios  music mixed at
• London Metropolitan Orchestra, The  additional music performed by
• London Philharmonic Orchestra  music performed by
• Studios CTS  music recorded at

MPAA:

Rated R for some language and nudity.

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Australia:M | Brazil:Livre | Iceland:L | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:18 | Philippines:R-18 | Argentina:13 | Finland:S | Germany:6 (bw) | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Beacon, New York, USA

Company:

Capella International

Trivia:

Jessica Tandy's final role.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Carl's secretary is shooed out of his office, she holds her bra crumpled in her hands; when she tells Sully that Carl won't see him, it's gone.

Quotes:

Clive Peoples Jr.: We've been through this before. A landlord has -
Sully: You are not my landlord!
Clive Peoples Jr.: My mother is -
Sully: The only reason I don't kick your ass. If you don't get out of here right now, I may change my mind.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Czas surferów (2005)

Soundtrack:

Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town

newman's best

It's next to impossible not to like Paul Newman on screen, so it's a tremendous active achievement when he plays an unsympathetic character. Sully, his greatest role since "Hud," depicts Newman at his worst and thus at his best. Tom Hanks was remarkable in "Forrest Gump," but Newman deserved the 1994 Best Actor Oscar for "Nobody's Fool." The movie's greatness lies in the relationships between Newman and two other characters. Jessica Tandy is closer to Newman than her own son, played by Josef Sommer (who it's revealed is a white-collar crook and thus a bigger scoundrel than Sully, whom he despises). Likewise, Newman connects easier with co-worker Rub than with his own son, who can't see beyond his father's betrayal during a wayward youth. The reconciliation between Sully and Rub on a back porch may be the greatest of Newman's career ("Peter's my son. You're my best friend," Sully says in terms that even the slow-thinking Rub can grasp instantly). Robert Benton, who also directed the heartwarming "Places in the Heart," gives us an equally personal, but more disciplined work. He assembles A-list performers (Bruce Willis and Melanie Griffith are magnetic on screen), gives them marvelous dialogue ("You're a man among men," Griffith tells Newman twice in the movie but with different meanings) and melts our hearts. But acting honors go to Newman, whose complex Sully becomes if not loving, then at least a responsible, functioning, vital member of the human race. And, in the end, nobody's fool.