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best movie i've ever seen.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

From Richard Russo's novel involving ne'er-do-well, trouble-causing construction worker in upstate New York, at odds with his smug employer over money and considering an affair with the boss's unhappy wife. Robert Benton-directed drama-lite, which he also adapted, puts the squeeze on us right from the start (with 'lyrical' shots of a small town in winter set to Howard Shore's saccharine score). It only figures that the characters are all written in the same cutesy way, and that the relationships between the people on-screen are laid out for us in maddeningly pedantic terms. Paul Newman received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor (as did Benton for his screenplay), but there isn't one sequence in the film that stretches Newman as a performer. Hardly the prestigious actors' piece many professional critics were conned into believing it was, "Nobody's Fool" is a sitcom...and a creative dead-end for all concerned. *1/2 from ****

'Nobody's Fool' showcases & salutes the impeccable talent of the Late/Great Paul Newman. The legendary actor delivers a career-best performance as an aging nobody, who realizes family values & comes clean at last. Newman's performance demonstrates this human-drama, with charisma & aura. Its a class act!'Nobody's Fool' Synopsis: 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 & flirts with Carl's young wife Toby. Sully's long-forgotten son & family have moved back to town, so Sully faces unfamiliar family responsibilities.'Nobody's Fool' is beautifully Written & Directed by Robert Benton. His Screenplay, which is based on the 1993 novel of the same name by Richard Russo, delivers a story of pure emotions & redemption. Its heartbreaking & heart-felt. His Direction, as usual, is subtle. He, however, should be credited the most for churning out Newman's greatest performance to date. Performance-Wise: Its pretty evident that Newman is the life of the film. He's never been this good. Bruce Willis is efficient. Dylan Walsh gets some wonderful scenes with Newman & he enacts his part with sincerity. The Late/Great Jessica Tandy is restrained in a pivotal role, while The Late/Great Phillip Seymour Hoffman shines in a cameo. On the whole, 'Nobody's Fool' proves, that Nobody's like Newman.

An aging blue-collar worker tries to bond with the adult son that he abandoned as a child. This low-key, small-town character study has its moments but it doesn't quite come together, mainly due to the shortcomings of the rambling script by director Benton. The interaction among the characters is not interesting enough to make up for the lack of a plot. Perhaps a little more humor and less sentimentality would have helped. Newman is always worth watching, but it's a little awkward watching his romantic overtures towards Griffith, more than 30 years his junior. Tandy turns in a fine farewell performance after a sixty-year career.

Many reviewers have already cited the excellent acting and the sheer high quality of the movie, so I'll suffice to say I echo their sentiments. I will add that Bruce Willis earns respect as a real actor; his star was well towards its apex when he played this role which could really have been done by many character actors who specialize in playing weasels. Willis took this ordinary supporting role and made it into a very memorable and even likable character.What I love about this film is the story itself, in that Sully Sullivan, an aging handy-man, APPEARS to be struggling with his life and what it meant, when in reality an entire town depends on Sullly to be....well....Sully. He is the thread that weaves the whole town and its many stories together. Even the few people who don't like him depend on him.(Possible spoiler) Toward the end, his son sums it all up and even pays him the ultimate compliment when he says to Sully "It's not easy being you." Simply a great movie on so many levels.