Ulee's Gold
Encyclopedia
Ulee's Gold is a 1997 film
written and directed by Victor Nuñez
, and starring Peter Fonda
in the title role. Co-stars include Patricia Richardson
, Christine Dunford, Tom Wood, Jessica Biel
, J. Kenneth Campbell
, Steven Flynn, Dewey Weber, and Vanessa Zima
. It is "not quite an independent film
" released by Orion Pictures
, with Jonathan Demme
receiving presenter
credits for his role in the film's financing.".
The film was the "Centerpiece Premier" at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival
. Fonda's performance was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor and a Screen Actors Guild Award. During a 1997 interview held in Melbourne
, Fonda commented on the character he portrayed:
The film's title refers most concretely to the honey
Ulee produces as a beekeeper, particularly that made from the nectar
of the tupelo
tree.
Nuñez used the Lanier family, a third-generation beekeeping family in Wewahitchka, Florida
as "bee consultants" for the film; the Lanier family swamp lands and bee yards served as filming locations, with some members of the family appearing as extras in the film.
Van Morrison
sings "Tupelo Honey
" (the title song of a 1971 album
) over the end credits.
vet, widower and grandfather. He is a beekeeper
by profession, who raises two granddaughters (Biel and Zima) because his son (Wood) is in prison and his daughter-in-law Helen (Dunford), a drug addict, has run away. The son implores him to look for his wife and bring her home. Upon returning home with Helen, Ulee's granddaughters see their mother going through withdrawal, and plead with their neighbor Connie (Richardson) to help her. Connie is a twice-divorced nurse who assists Ulee in getting his daughter-in-law through detox
. The film shows Ulee holding the family together and attempting to protect them from two young criminals, associates of his son, who come looking for a hidden stash of cash.
, and has an approval rating of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes
from 48 reviews counted.
1997 in film
-Events:* The original Star Wars trilogy's Special Editions are released.* Production begins on Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.* Titanic becomes the first film to gross US$1,000,000,000 at the box office making it the highest grossing film in history until Avatar broke the record in 2010.*...
written and directed by Victor Nuñez
Victor Nuñez
Victor Nuñez is a film director, professor at the Florida State University College of Motion Picture, Television and Recording Arts, and a founding member of the Independent Feature Project. He is best known for directing Ulee's Gold, a critically acclaimed movie starring Jessica Biel and Peter...
, and starring Peter Fonda
Peter Fonda
Peter Henry Fonda is an American actor. He is the son of Henry Fonda, brother of Jane Fonda, and father of Bridget and Justin Fonda...
in the title role. Co-stars include Patricia Richardson
Patricia Richardson
Patricia Castle Richardson is an American television and film actress best known for her portrayal of Jill Taylor on the sitcom Home Improvement.-Early life and education:...
, Christine Dunford, Tom Wood, Jessica Biel
Jessica Biel
Jessica Claire Biel is an American actress, model, and occasional singer. Biel is known for her television role as Mary Camden in the long-running family-drama series 7th Heaven...
, J. Kenneth Campbell
J. Kenneth Campbell
J. Kenneth Campbell is an American film, stage, and television actor with distinctive features that has been cast in over 80 roles.He was born in Flushing, New York.-External links:...
, Steven Flynn, Dewey Weber, and Vanessa Zima
Vanessa Zima
-Early life:Zima was born in Phillipsburg, New Jersey. She is a daughter of Dennis and Marie Zima. She has an older sister, Madeline, and one younger sister, Yvonne.-Career:Zima has played parts in movies such as Ulee's Gold, Zoe and TheBrainiacs.com...
. It is "not quite an independent film
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
" released by Orion Pictures
Orion Pictures
Orion Pictures Corporation was an American independent production company that produced movies from 1978 until 1998. It was formed in 1978 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and three former top-level executives of United Artists. Although it was never a large motion picture producer, Orion...
, with Jonathan Demme
Jonathan Demme
Robert Jonathan Demme is an American filmmaker, producer and screenwriter. Best known for directing The Silence of the Lambs, which won him the Academy Award for Best Director, he has also directed the acclaimed movies Philadelphia, Rachel Getting Married, the Talking Heads concert movie Stop...
receiving presenter
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
credits for his role in the film's financing.".
The film was the "Centerpiece Premier" at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
. Fonda's performance was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor and a Screen Actors Guild Award. During a 1997 interview held in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Fonda commented on the character he portrayed:
The film's title refers most concretely to the honey
Monofloral honey
Monofloral honey is a type of honey which has a high value in the marketplace because it has a distinctive flavor or other attribute due to its being predominantly from the nectar of one plant species....
Ulee produces as a beekeeper, particularly that made from the nectar
Nectar source
A nectar source is a flowering plant that produces nectar as part of its reproductive strategy. These plants create nectar, which attract pollinating insects and sometimes other animals such as birds....
of the tupelo
Tupelo
The tupelo , black gum, or pepperidge tree, genus Nyssa , is a small genus of about 9 to 11 species of trees with alternate, simple leaves...
tree.
Nuñez used the Lanier family, a third-generation beekeeping family in Wewahitchka, Florida
Wewahitchka, Florida
Wewahitchka is a city in Gulf County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,722 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the city had a population of 1,703.-Geography:...
as "bee consultants" for the film; the Lanier family swamp lands and bee yards served as filming locations, with some members of the family appearing as extras in the film.
Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
sings "Tupelo Honey
Tupelo Honey (Van Morrison song)
"Tupelo Honey" is a popular song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and the title song from his 1971 album, Tupelo Honey. The title derives from an expensive, mild-tasting tupelo honey produced in the southeastern United States. Released as a single in 1972, it reached number...
" (the title song of a 1971 album
Tupelo Honey
Tupelo Honey is the fifth solo album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. It was released in October 1971 by Warner Bros. Records. Morrison had written all of the songs on the album in Woodstock, New York before his move to Marin County, California, except for "You're My Woman", which...
) over the end credits.
Plot
Fonda plays Ulee (short for Ulysses) Jackson, a VietnamVietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
vet, widower and grandfather. He is a beekeeper
Beekeeper
A beekeeper is a person who keeps honey bees for the purposes of securing commodities such as honey, beeswax, pollen, royal jelly; pollinating fruits and vegetables; raising queens and bees for sale to other farmers; and/or for purposes satisfying natural scientific curiosity...
by profession, who raises two granddaughters (Biel and Zima) because his son (Wood) is in prison and his daughter-in-law Helen (Dunford), a drug addict, has run away. The son implores him to look for his wife and bring her home. Upon returning home with Helen, Ulee's granddaughters see their mother going through withdrawal, and plead with their neighbor Connie (Richardson) to help her. Connie is a twice-divorced nurse who assists Ulee in getting his daughter-in-law through detox
Detox
Detoxification is the physiological or medicinal removal of toxic substances from a living organism, including, but not limited to, the human body and additionally can refer to the period of withdrawal during which an organism returns to homeostasis after long-term use of an addictive substance...
. The film shows Ulee holding the family together and attempting to protect them from two young criminals, associates of his son, who come looking for a hidden stash of cash.
Reception
Ulee's Gold was well received by critics. It currently holds a rating of 77 on MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, and has an approval rating of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
from 48 reviews counted.