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Paul Newman earned an Oscar nomination (and won citations from the New York Film Critics Circle and the Berlin International Film Festival) for his performance in this well-drawn comedy-drama. Sully (Newman) is a 60-year-old man who emotionally seems to have never quite emerged from adolescence; scraping by on part-time work in construction, Sully has built a life around avoiding responsibility. He hasn't spoken with his ex-wife ( Elizabeth Wilson ) in years, he lives in a rooming house owned by his eighth-grade teacher Mrs. Beryl ( Jessica Tandy ), his best friend is a mildly retarded handyman, Rub ( Pruitt Taylor Vince ), and he has a crush on Toby ( Melanie Griffith ), who is half his age and married to Carl ( Bruce Willis ), who sometimes gives him work. One day, Sully nearly runs into his son Peter ( Dylan Walsh ) and discovers that he has a grandson he never knew about; for the first time, Sully finds himself thinking that he ought to start behaving like a grown-up — or at least get to know his family before it's too late. Nobody's Fool also features Gene Saks as Sully's lawyer Wirf, and Philip Seymour Hoffman as the overly-enthusiastic Officer Raymer. — Mark Deming
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