Product Details

• Actors: Peter Fonda, Patricia Richardson, Christine Dunford, Tom Wood, Jessica Biel
• Directors: Victor Nunez
• Writers: Victor Nunez
• Producers: Edward Saxon, John Sloss, Peter Saraf, Sam Gowan, Stewart Lippe
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Digital Video Transfer, NTSC
• Subtitles: Spanish
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Orion
• VHS Release Date: October 20, 1998
• Run Time: 113 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0792899709
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #494,437 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Director Victor Nunez's richly photographed Ulee's Gold drew critical acclaim for Peter Fonda's and Patricia Richardson's subtle performances--and premiered as the Festival Centerpiece in 1997's Sundance Film Festival. Vividly photographed and set amid southern Florida's tupelo swamps, the film's narrative hinges on the evolution of a more-than-platonic connection between neighbors Ulysses, Ulee for short (Fonda), and Connie (Richardson). Known for her role on TV's Home Improvement, Richardson makes a satisfying foray into film with this appropriately smaller role where she manages to hatch out of potential typecasting. Fonda's independent, stubborn, and reserved Ulee anchors the narrative. He is a bee keeper whose struggling small business is all that keeps him focused in the wake of his wife Penelope's death, his daughter-in-law Helen's (Christine Dunford) drug addiction, and the de facto single-parent obligations he takes on to his adolescent granddaughters. (Notice the Homeric references.) Soon the plot twists, however, in the sociopathy of Eddie and Ferris, friends of Ulee's jailed son--a sociopathy that is also the impetus for the family to confront its dysfunction and for Connie and Ulee to see more in each other than mere neighborliness. Thankfully, Nunez foregoes the bathos of a Hollywood ending and leaves us satisfied on one hand with Helen's healing and Eddie's justice but uncertain, though hopeful, about Ulee's next step. --Erik Macki

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Honey of a Film!, December 5, 2002

By 

L. Shirley "Laurie's Boomer Views" (Huntington Beach,CA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Ulee's Gold (DVD)

Peter Fonda has definitly inherited his father's gift for acting as he turns in a remarkable performance in "Ulee's Gold". Fonda plays Ulee Jackson, a Viet Nam vet, now the soul operater of the family beekeeping business. Ulee was the only one to survive his unit during the war due to his tenacity, and now he must call upon that strength again as he tries to hold his dysfunctional family together.

Ulee seems to have lost his way since the death of his beloved wife, and tries half-heartedly to raise his two grand-daughters, and his bees.
His son incarcerated, and daughter-in-law a drug addict are no help to him. A situtation arises, his son's co-horts in a robbery are now holding a very drugged up Helen(the daughter-in-law) hostage for money that was hidden by Ulee's son during the robbery. Ulee must rescue Helen and keep his family safe from these dangerous men.In the process Ulee finds renewed stength in himself, realizes the immense power of family, and also opens up to a new lady friend(Patricia Richardson) who has been a tremendous help to the family.He finds Gold in more than the Bee's honey!

This is a powerfully moving and emotional film. It was directed by Victor Nunez who was nominated by ALMA as outstanding Latin Director, and recieved other international awards for this film. The performances by the actors are incredibly intuitive to their rolls.Peter Fonda was bestowed a Golden Globe and the NY Film Critics award for Best Actor, and was also nominated in that category for an Oscar,Patricia Richardson(Home Improvement), also gives an outstanding performance as the caring neighbor in a new format for her. Jessica Biel who plays Ulee's oldest grand-daughter, is exceptional as the rebellious, hormonally charged teenager, and recieved The Young Artists Award that year.Vanessa Zima who plays the youngest is excellent as the seemingly all knowing youngster. Also turning in fine performances are Steven Flynn and Dewey Weber, and of course...The Bees who make all that golden honey!

The beautiful cinematography(filmed mostly in the Tupelo swamps of Florida) shines through in this MGM edition of this DVD. The picture and colors are sharp, clear and bright in the widescreen format, and there is a standard format(although there isn't too much of a difference there) on the other side if you prefer. The sound is good in Dolby Digital stereo surround, and the soundtrack beautfilly done and befitting the film.No special features to speak of but it does come with a nice "making of" booklet, the original theatrical trailer, and you have the choice of viewing it in English or French or with subtitles in those languages.

All in all an excellant film (and DVD), that might have been somewhat overlooked the year it was released(1997) as there were some huge blockbusters that year(i.e.Titanic).If you have never seen it you are in for a treat. If you already know you love it, you will not be dissapointed with the DVD.
Go for it.....Laurie

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Near perfect film., March 28, 2000

By 

S. McHale (Costa Mesa, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ulee's Gold [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Most of the reviews here on cast and the script do an incredible and convinging job portraying people in transformation. Peter Fonda goes from stubbornly independent to accepting help from those around him. His teenage grandaughter goes from insolent/resentful to helpful when she witnesses her wayward mother experiencing drug withdrawal (she understands her grandfather's strength and resilience from this). The mom goes from rabid, caged animal to a contrite and caring person when her withdrawal completes. Much of this is handled with little dialogue! It's in their faces. In a touching scene, the youngest grandaughter comes to her mom's rescue during mom's panic epidsode - she shows her mom a drawing based on an allegory whe witnessed that day where a beehive is tipped over from a bear attack. The bees are frightened, but the people around the bees as well as the bees themselves will be okay as long as everybody remains calm and sets aside their fears. Much of the dialogue in that scene happens off-camera, but you can just smell the tension easing during that scene. Not only was it well done, but it captures one of the essential themes to that movie.

The movie may move a little for some but I did not mind. It gave me a sense of Ulee's life. I don't particularly like slow films myself (Sling Blande was way too slow for me), but this film handled the pacing just right.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Lord! They slipped an action film right past me!, May 22, 2000

By 

"takintime" (Raleigh, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ulee's Gold [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This film is a real treat. Normally I have no use for "action" films at all. And despite the slow, steady pacing of this flick, that is exactly what it is--a re-defining of "action" films. You doubt it? Just watch how many times Ulee finds himself in dangerous situations demanding action--kidnappings, hostage situations, removing his overdosing daughter-in-law from the drug den she has called home for far too long, staring down the barrels of guns weilded by two lunatic sociopaths who don't have two brain cells to rub together. These are situations in which somebody has to do something! In other films that would have meant blood and gore in a host of possible situations--shootings, explosions, car crashes, or at the very least a bone-crunching karate kick or two. Not Ulee's style, so it doesn't happen, but in the end you realize that as plodding and unpretentious as he is, Ulee is a man of action. And furthermore, he gets excellent results.

If you insist that blood, gore and violence are necessary components of an action film, you may not care for this one. However, if you are adventurous and want to see a whole new spin on the theme--not to mention a chance to see Peter Fonda proving that he is just as appealing as he ever was--by all means, see this film. It's a real treat for anyone, especially those of us who have aged along with Fonda and might at this stage of our lives wondering if we have really accomplished anything worthwhile. A wonderful film! Fonda at his best and a story that works well, as well as working out right. You can't reasonably ask for more.