Ulees Gold

Synopsis

Ulee (short for Ulysses) Jackson is a Vietnam veteran, widower and grandfather. He is a beekeeper by profession, who raises two granddaughters (Biel and Zima) because his son (Wood) is in prison and his daughter-in-law Helen (Dunford), a drug addict, has run away. The son implores him to look for his wife and bring her home.

Upon returning home with Helen, Ulee's granddaughters see their mother going through withdrawal, and the youngest pleads with their neighbor Connie (Richardson) to help her. Connie is a twice-divorced nurse who assists Ulee in getting his daughter-in-law through detox. The film shows Ulee holding the family together and attempting to protect them from two young criminals, former associates of his son, who come looking for a hidden stash of cash.

Cast

Production

Nuñez used the Lanier family, a third-generation beekeeping family in Wewahitchka, Florida as "bee consultants" for the film; the Lanier family swamp lands and bee yards served as filming locations, with some members of the family appearing as extras in the film. Other filming locations were Orlando, Carrabelle, Apalachicola and Port St. Joe, Florida.

During a 1997 interview held in Melbourne, Fonda commented on the character he portrayed:

Reception

Ulee's Gold was well received by critics. It currently holds a rating of 77 on Metacritic, and has an approval rating of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes from 48 reviews counted.

Andrew Johnston wrote in Time Out New York: "The plot poses ample opportunities for cliches, all of which Nunez deftly avoids. The characters are wonderfully drawn and bring out the best in the actors —the taciturn Fonda often seems to be channeling his father, and Richardson proves she’s too talented to be wasting her time on Home Improvement". Variety's Todd McCarthy described the film as a "gem of rare emotional depth and integrity".