Waste of time

The Worst Film Ever

That was an excellent one.

Great Film overall

I have seen this movie many times, and it gets better each time. The scene when a hive is destroyed and Ulee recovers it is the scene that exposes the parallel themes of the film: keeping his family together, and the bees producing (credited in the end titles). The story has incredible tension, but the film seems almost relaxed; no dramatic music, no fast camera action, but a calm sense of reality. This feeling is accentuated by the beautiful photography. The natural lighting in the grocery store parking lot, and the slightly out-of-focus shot of nurse Hope at the truck with groceries are two shots that just knock me out. The last scene at the prison chokes me up even thinking about it. But with all the pain and trouble, the reward is---honey, Tupelo honey.

A beekeeper raising his two granddaughters while his son is in jail must deal with his son's old cohorts. This is a well-acted character study, with Fonda having one of his best roles as a widower who wants to live a quiet existence but must take steps to keep his dysfunctional family together. His low-key performance as a man of quiet integrity recalls his father in films like "The Grapes of Wrath." Richardson is fine as a helpful neighbor while Biel makes her film debut as one of the granddaughters. While most of the film is engaging, the plot is weak, failing to deliver a strong ending to satisfactorily wrap up the story.

When this film appeared there was a genuine mild Oscar buzz around it, particularly it was said because of Peter Fonda's mesmerising performance. I sat and watched Peter and his cast friends. It was maybe the most painful film I'd ever had to watch. Dull. Slow. I'm a sucker for character-rich films that others can find "too wordy". But, this had nothing. There is one excruciating scene where he stands, with a female friend, in his kitchen first pouring then drinking a glass of water. It lasts for seemingly hours with nothing going on. No chat, nothing. The camera dwells upon Fonda in a way that suggests he is a God about to utter an all-important oratory. But, nothing of note spews out. You hope that maybe one of Fonda's hived bees may provide some captivating diversion. But, no. Then I realised whom must have generated all that original buzz.

I agree with the above commentator that Victor Nunez has great talent, but I disagree with the criticism of the writing. I think the dialog is intentionally paced to accurately reflect the oral traditions of rural Floridians in that socio-economic milieu.I was very disappointed that this film did not win an Oscar. In my opinion, its the best acting Peter Fonda has ever done. As a native Floridian, I also recognize many of the locales in the film, shot on location in the Sunshine State.If you haven't seen this film, you have missed a treasure. By the way, its up to the viewer to decide whether the title refers to honey or Ulysses' family values.