Nobody’s Fool

Plots: A stubborn man past his prime reflects on his life of strict independence and seeks more from himself. Sully is a rascally ne’er-do-well approaching retirement age. While he is pressing a worker’s compensation suit for a bad knee, he secretly works for his nemesis Carl, and flirts with Carl’s young wife Toby. Sully’s long-forgotten son and his family have moved back to town, so Sully faces unfamiliar family responsibilities. Meanwhile, Sully’s landlady’s banker son plots to push through a new development and evict Sully from his mother’s life. Donald “Sully” Sullivan (Paul Newman) is a construction worker in upstate Bath, NY, divorced and estranged from his wife and son for the past 25+ years. Sully lives as a tenant in the home of a former, now very elderly schoolteacher, Mrs. Beryl Peoples (Jessica Tandy) and keeps an eye on Ms. Beryl and her house. He bets on the same Trifecta every week, drinks, and often loses at poker. Sully has an odd assortment of friends and enemies who think he is either hellbent or crazy. Carl Roebuck (Bruce Willis, who did not appear in the pre-film credits) inherited Tip Top Construction, his father’s company; Carl refuses to pay worker’s compensation for Sully’s legitimate “off books” job injury. Carl has even less integrity in his personal life: he flaunts a bimbo in front of his wife Toby (Melanie Griffith) and laughs at Sully. But Toby likes Sully and he likes her. He’s certain Toby is the best-looking lady in Bath. Ms. Beryl trusts Sully more than she trusts her own son, who is the bank president. Sully’s bitter son David (Dylan Walsh) and grandson Will return to town, and Sully suddenly realizes that he is a grandfather. This is a baby step: it will take time to mend the rift with his son. Sully begins to appreciate the several friends, including Toby, about whom he cares. As progressively-great things start to happen, Sully learns that a wise man can make his own luck. And Sully is nobody’s fool.