On Watching Nobody's Fool Again for the First Time in Nearly 30 Years

Last night, I went to the Brattle Theatre to take in a double feature of Nobody's Fool and Pulp Fiction as part of a series called "Bruce Willis: Beyond the Bombastic".

For starters, I am glad the Brattle is paying homage to Bruce Willis while he is still with us amid his ongoing health problems.

Nobody's Fool is an interesting choice for this retrospective as this was not only a rare, non-action film for Willis but one in which he was presented as an antagonist. It is also worth noting that Willis' name is only seen in the closing credits. Willis' portrayal of Carl Roebuck and that of Butch Coolidge in Pulp Fiction are galaxies apart despite the fact both films were released in 1994. 

But make no mistake. Nobody's Fool is a Paul Newman film through and through. It was one of his finest roles earning him his seventh Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. In Nobody's Fool, Newman portrays Donald "Sully" Sullivan, a charming rogue who if, to paraphrase the song, didn't have bad luck would have no luck at all. 

Although not a candidate for father-of-the year and often on the wrong side of the law, Newman portrays Sullivan with dignity. Newman was surrounded by a capable supporting cast. Aside from the aforementioned Willis, there was Melanie Griffith, Dylan Walsh (who would later star in the F/X TV series Nip/Tuck), Pruitt Taylor Vince, Margo Martindale, a baby-faced Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Jessica Tandy in what proved to be her final film role before her death in September 1994. 

It was the first time I had seen Nobody's Fool in nearly 30 years. I saw Nobody's Fool in a theatre in London's Picadilly Circus in April 1995 with the late Jimmy Wray, the Scottish Labour MP for whom I was interning at the time. 

With the passage of nearly three decades, specific details of both the film and the evening have faded beyond my mind's recesses. Although Melanie Griffith flashing her breasts at Newman is not easily forgotten. However, what I clearly remember is how Newman's performance resonated with Jimmy. Although Jimmy had a successful career in politics, he came from modest means and his life could have in any number of different and less than positive directions. I'm sure Jimmy saw a bit of himself in Donald "Sully" Sullivan.

I also remember that evening fondly simply because Jimmy and I spent it together as friends. Unlike most of his colleagues (whatever their political party) who saw me and other interns as people beneath them and generally unworthy of their attention, Jimmy accepted me on my terms and saw me as an equal. Because of that, I will forever associate Nobody's Fool with Jimmy Wray as much as I do with Paul Newman.