Starring Peter Fonda, Patricia Richardson, Christine Dunford, Steven Flynn, Dewey Weber, Vanessa Zima, Tom Wood. Written and Directed by Victor Nunez.
Ulee Jackson (Fonda) is a beekeeper, painstakingly moving his bees around the countryside at different times of the year to get different flavours of honey, the best being the premium Tupelo honey that can only be obtained for about 3 weeks of the year. Ulee operates out of sense of duty - there is little joy in his life. His wife died of cancer six years back. His son Jimmy (Wood) is in jail for armed robbery, and his daughter-in-law Helen (Dunford) has left and is a strung-out junkie in Orlando. Ulee is the only one left to take care of his son's two daughters. His bees are constantly threatened by disease and changing times and tastes. But Ulee is a survivor. He was the only one of his platoon in Vietnam to survive an attack, and get out alive.
One day, in the middle of Tupelo season, Jimmy calls him from jail, and begs him to go to Orlando to pick up Helen, who is strung out on pills. She is staying with Jimmy's former robbery buddies, Eddie and Ferris, but these bums have an ulterior motive - they've found out about $100,000 in cash that Jimmy has stashed and they are prepared to hurt Jimmy's family unless they get it. Ulee reluctantly drags Helen back home, and although he likes to take care of family matters alone, he allows a nurse next door (Richardson) help bring Helen back to the living.
Fonda is outstanding. He adopts a very reserved style that takes a bit getting used to, but he conveys Ulee's thoughts and feelings through minimal dialogue and expert facial expressions. He reminds me of his father Henry in On Golden Pond, in the way he casually and stoically shows his character facing life. I've read some accounts who compare him to his dad as Tom Joad in the classic Grapes of Wrath. The talk about an Oscar nomination is well-founded. No performance this year stands out as much - I doubt there will be five better ones for the rest of the year. Besides, Hollywood loves a great comeback, and this one is a great comeback. The rest of the cast is also excellent, especially Richardson (of Home Improvement fame). Her blossoming relationship with Ulee is done with charm and reserve - you know what is happening, but they don't have to be yapping about it or rolling around the floor to make it obvious. The characters, even the bad guys, are well developed and shown as real people. The film tackles several themes with precision. Ulee express dismay at how young people take short cuts, try to get money for nothing. The movie also demonstrates that even if you've messed up before, with people or with your life, there's a second chance if you want to work for it. The film has been in theatres since June. It is well worth seeing it before it goes. My rating below is probably too low - you'll be glad you went.
