Editing Ulee's Gold

{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Ulee's Gold
| image          = Ulees gold.jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Victor Nuñez]]
| producer       = [[Jonathan Demme]]
| writer         = Victor Nuñez
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* [[Peter Fonda]]
* [[Patricia Richardson]] 
* [[Jessica Biel]]
* [[J. Kenneth Campbell]]
* [[Christine Dunford]]
* Steven Flynn
* Dewey Weber
* [[Thomas Mills Wood|Tom Wood]]
* [[Vanessa Zima]]
}}
| music          = Charles Engstrom
| cinematography = Virgil Mirano
| editing        = Victor Nuñez
| studio         = [[Motion Picture Corporation of America]] <br />Clinica Estetico<br />Nunez-Gowan
| distributor    = [[Orion Pictures]]
| released       = {{Film date|1997|6|13}}
| runtime        = 115 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $2.7 million
| gross          = $9,054,736 (U.S.)<ref>{{Mojo title|uleesgold}}</ref>
}}
'''''Ulee's Gold''''' is a 1997 American [[Drama (film and television)|drama film]] written and directed by [[Victor Nuñez]] and starring [[Peter Fonda]]. Co-stars include [[Patricia Richardson]], [[Christine Dunford]], [[Tom Wood (actor)|Tom Wood]], [[Jessica Biel]], [[J. Kenneth Campbell]] and [[Vanessa Zima]]. It was released by [[Orion Pictures]], with [[Jonathan Demme]] receiving presenter credits for his role in the film's financing.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/9706/20/uleegold.review/ | work=CNN | title=Review: 'Ulee's Gold' outshines blockbuster pack}}</ref>

The film's title refers both to the [[Monofloral honey|honey]] the main character Ulee produces as a [[beekeeper]], particularly that made from the [[nectar]] of the [[Tupelo (tree)|tupelo]] tree, and to the hidden money stolen by his son.

The film was the "Centerpiece Premiere" at the 1997 [[Sundance Film Festival]].<ref name="dvdpamphlet">"Making of" pamphlet accompanying the DVD release</ref> Fonda won a [[Golden Globe Award]] for his performance and was also nominated for an [[Academy Award for Best Actor]] and a [[Screen Actors Guild Award]].

[[Van Morrison]] sings "[[Tupelo Honey (Van Morrison song)|Tupelo Honey]]" (the title song of his [[Tupelo Honey|1971 album]]) over the end credits.

==Plot==
Ulee Jackson is a widowed beekeeper in [[Wewahitchka, Florida]]. His son Jimmy is in prison following a botched bank robbery and Jimmy's wife, Helen, has abandoned their two daughters and is living in [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]]. Ulee's stubborn independence prevents him from asking for help, and he has his hands full running his business and acting as surrogate parent to Casey and Penny. Casey is a rebellious teenager and Penny is a timid 10-year-old who seems confused by her parents' absence and the tension at home.

When Ulee visits Jimmy in prison, Jimmy tells him that Helen has turned up at the Orlando home of petty criminals Eddie Flowers and Ferris Dooley. They were Jimmy's accomplices in the robbery, but were never caught. Now they say Helen is sick, and Jimmy asks Ulee to bring her home.

Ulee goes to pick up Helen, but it turns out what Eddie and Ferris really want is the stolen money that Jimmy allegedly hid after the robbery. Ulee agrees to ask Jimmy about it, and then takes Helen home. Helen's "illness" is actually drug addiction and, while she is almost comatose on the way home, she becomes violent and belligerent as she wakes up near the house. Ulee's tenant and next door neighbor, a divorced nurse named Connie, is brought into the home by a frightened Penny, and over the next few days helps Helen through her drug withdrawal.

Meanwhile, Ulee learns that Jimmy hid the bank money in an ice chest under a wrecked pick-up truck left to rust in the swamp. He tells Eddie and Ferris he will bring the money to Orlando in a few days, but they decide they cannot wait and take Helen, Casey, and Penny hostage in Ulee's home. They are then tied up and left in the house as Eddie and Ferris force Ulee at gunpoint to take them to the money. As they are leaving Ulee's house, with Ulee driving, Ulee, uncharacteristically, makes the tires squeal. The unusual sound is enough to get the attention of Connie, who walks over to the house, finds the bound women and releases them. Most likely, she also calls the sheriff to alert him to Eddie and Ferris' actions. After the money has been retrieved, Ulee has an opportunity to kick the pistol into the swamp. The two criminals ride with Ulee back into town, then Eddie, angry about the lost gun, stabs him in the parking lot when they arrive. As Ulee stumbles away bleeding, Eddie and Ferris drive off but are pulled over almost immediately by the sheriff.

In a newly hopeful Jackson household, Helen has stepped back into her role as a mother, and Jimmy expects to be paroled soon. Ulee is happy to return to his bees, but has mixed feelings about giving up some of his responsibilities, as Jimmy has asked to work with Ulee.  As he recovers from his wound he begins work on expanding his business to accommodate Jimmy's return, and seems to finally be taking a romantic interest in Connie.

==Cast==
* [[Peter Fonda]] as Ulee Jackson
* [[Patricia Richardson]] as Connie Hope
* [[Christine Dunford]] as Helen Jackson
* [[Tom Wood (actor)|Tom Wood]] as Jimmy Jackson
* [[Jessica Biel]] as Casey Jackson
* [[Vanessa Zima]] as Penny Jackson
* Steven Flynn as Eddie Flowers
* Dewey Weber as Ferris Dooley
* [[J. Kenneth Campbell]] as Sheriff Bill Floyd
* Traber Burns as Chance Barrow
* Ryan Marshall as Charley Myers

==Production==
Nuñez used the Lanier family, a third-generation beekeeping family in [[Wewahitchka, Florida]]<ref>[http://www.lltupelohoney.com/uleesgold.htm Ulee's Gold - L.L. Lanier and Son's Tupelo Honey - Wewahitchka, Florida<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060317061904/http://www.lltupelohoney.com/uleesgold.htm |date=2006-03-17 }}</ref> 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.<ref name="dvdpamphlet" /> Other filming locations were [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]], [[Carrabelle, Florida|Carrabelle]], [[Apalachicola, Florida|Apalachicola]] and [[Port St. Joe]] in [[Florida]].<ref name="locations">{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120402/locations|title=Filming locations for Ulee's Gold|access-date=2012-11-06|publisher= [[IMDb]]}}</ref> ''Ulee's Gold'' was filmed during the late summer/early autumn of 1996.<ref>{{Cite web |title= Ulee's Gold (1997) Filming Locations|url=http://www.themoviedistrict.com/ulees-gold/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171230002058/http://www.themoviedistrict.com/ulees-gold/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=December 30, 2017}}</ref>

During a 1997 interview held in [[Melbourne]], Fonda commented on the character he portrayed:
{{blockquote|Ulee is the best character I've ever read. It's the kind of role you pay money to do &mdash; a complex character full of possibilities and the script was full of moments that were very deep, very pure and very simple. I also found a lot of Ulee in [[Henry Fonda|my father]]. He kept a couple of hives and I can see him hop-footing it across the lawn, thinking he had a bee up his pant leg. As I began to develop Ulee, I used a lot of the way my father was to us as kids, the way he was to us as a family and the way he was to himself.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thei.aust.com/film97/cellinfonda.html |title=From Easy Rider to Ulee's Gold with Peter Fonda |access-date=2006-04-01 |website=Celluloid Interview |first=Jayne |last=Margetts |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060321163657/http://www.thei.aust.com/film97/cellinfonda.html |archive-date=2006-03-21 }}</ref>}}
The film would help revive Fonda's career.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=Filmink |first=Stephen |last=Vagg |url=https://www.filmink.com.au/peter-fonda-10-phases-acting/ |title=Peter Fonda – 10 Phases of Acting |date=October 26, 2019 }}</ref>

==Reception==
''Ulee's Gold'' was well received by critics. On the [[review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], it has an approval rating of 94% based on reviews from 51 critics, with an average rating of 8.1/10. The website's consensus reads, "Led by an outstanding Peter Fonda performance, ''Ulee's Gold'' movingly depicts a family in crisis -- and a patriarch willing to sacrifice for the good of others."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ulees_gold/ |title=''Ulee{{'}}s Gold'' | work = [[Rotten Tomatoes]] |publisher=[[Fandango Media]] |access-date=2022-11-04 }}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], it has a score of 77 out of 100 based on reviews from 23 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/ulees-gold |title=''Ulee{{'}}s Gold'' Reviews |work=[[Metacritic]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |access-date=February 27, 2018}}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film a grade "B+" on scale of A to F.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |title= ULEE'S GOLD (1997) B+ |work= [[CinemaScore]] |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181220122629/https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |archive-date= 2018-12-20 }}</ref>

[[Andrew Johnston (critic)|Andrew Johnston]] wrote in ''[[Time Out NY|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 (TV series)|Home Improvement]]''".<ref>{{cite journal |title=Ulee's Gold |last=Johnston |first=Andrew |date=June 12, 1997 |journal=Time Out New York}}</ref> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]''{{'}}s [[Todd McCarthy]] described the film as a "gem of rare emotional depth and integrity".<ref>{{Cite web |first=Todd |last=McCarthy |url=https://variety.com/1997/film/reviews/ulee-s-gold-1200448259/ |title=Review: 'Ulee's Gold' |work=Variety |date=January 29, 1997 |access-date=May 6, 2017}}</ref> [[Roger Ebert]] of 
the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' gave it 3.5 out of 4, and wrote: "Peter Fonda here reveals a depth of talent we did not suspect."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ebert |first1=Roger |author1-link=Roger Ebert |title=Ulee's Gold |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/ulees-gold-1997 |website=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |publisher=RogerEbert.com |date=June 27, 1997}}</ref>

==Accolades==
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Award
! Category
! Nominee(s)
! Result
! Ref.
|-
| [[70th Academy Awards|Academy Awards]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| [[Peter Fonda]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1998 |title=The 70th Academy Awards (1998) Nominees and Winners |access-date=November 19, 2011 |work=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences |publisher=AMPAS |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141109213426/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1998 |archive-date=November 9, 2014}}</ref>
|-
| [[ALMA Award]]s
| Outstanding Latino Director of a Feature Film
| [[Victor Nuñez]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| [[Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 1997|Chicago Film Critics Association Awards]]
| [[Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| rowspan="2"| Peter Fonda
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://chicagofilmcritics.org/awards-blog/archives |title=1988-2013 Award Winner Archives |website=[[Chicago Film Critics Association]] |date=January 2013 |access-date=August 24, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards 1997|Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards]]
| [[Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[Deauville American Film Festival]]
| Grand Prix
| rowspan="3"| Victor Nuñez
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="2"| 
|-
| Jury Prize
| {{won}}{{efn|Tied with [[Neil LaBute]] for ''[[In the Company of Men]]''.}}
|-
| [[Fantasporto]]
| Audience Award
| {{won}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| [[55th Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe Awards]]
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama|Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama]]
| Peter Fonda
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/film/ulees-gold |title=Ulee's Gold – Golden Globes |website=[[HFPA]] |access-date=July 5, 2021 |ref={{harvid|HFPA|1998}}}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="5"| [[13th Independent Spirit Awards|Independent Spirit Awards]]
| colspan="2"| [[Independent Spirit Award for Best Film|Best Feature]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="5"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/SA_SubForm_etc/2021_SA_ALLNomineesWinners_063021.pdf |title=36 Years of Nominees and Winners |website=[[Independent Spirit Awards]] |access-date=August 13, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[Independent Spirit Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| Victor Nuñez
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead|Best Male Lead]]
| Peter Fonda
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female|Best Supporting Female]]
| [[Patricia Richardson]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay|Best Screenplay]]
| rowspan="3"| Victor Nuñez
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Mar del Plata International Film Festival]]
| Best Film (International Competition)
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| MystFest
| Best Film
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| [[1997 National Society of Film Critics Awards|National Society of Film Critics Awards]]
| [[National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| rowspan="8"| Peter Fonda
| {{draw|2nd Place}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://nationalsocietyoffilmcritics.com/about-2/ |title=Past Awards |website=[[National Society of Film Critics]] |date=19 December 2009 |access-date=July 5, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[1997 New York Film Critics Circle Awards|New York Film Critics Circle Awards]]
| [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nyfcc.com/awards/?awardyear=1997 |title=1997 New York Film Critics Circle Awards |website=[[New York Film Critics Circle]] |access-date=July 5, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="2"| Online Film & Television Association Awards
| Best Actor
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="2"| <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oftaawards.com/film-awards/2nd-annual-film-awards-1997/ |title=2nd Annual Film Awards (1997) |website=Online Film & Television Association |access-date=May 15, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| Best Drama Actor
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Online Film Critics Society Awards 1997|Online Film Critics Society Awards]]
| [[Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://ofcs.org/awards/1997-awards-1st-annual/ |title=1997 Online Film Critics Society Awards |website=[[Online Film Critics Society]] |date=3 January 2012 |access-date=April 22, 2022}}</ref>
|-
| [[4th Screen Actors Guild Awards|Screen Actors Guild Awards]]
| [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role|Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sagawards.org/awards/nominees-and-recipients/4th-annual-screen-actors-guild-awards|title=The 4th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards|work=[[Screen Actors Guild Award]]s|access-date=May 21, 2016|archive-date=November 1, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111101205428/http://www.sagawards.org/awards/nominees-and-recipients/4th-annual-screen-actors-guild-awards|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| [[Society of Texas Film Critics Awards 1997|Society of Texas Film Critics Awards]]
| Best Actor
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards
| Best Actor
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sefca.net/winners#/1997 |title= 1997 SEFA Awards |website=sefca.net |access-date=May 15, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[19th Youth in Film Awards|Young Artist Awards]]
| rowspan="2"| Best Performance in a Feature Film – Supporting Young Actress
| [[Jessica Biel]]
| {{won}}
| align="center" rowspan="2"| <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.youngartistawards.org/pastnoms19.htm|title=19th Youth In Film Awards|accessdate=2011-03-31|website=YoungArtistAwards.org|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161222144713/http://www.youngartistawards.org/pastnoms19.htm|archivedate=2016-12-22}}</ref>
|-
| [[Vanessa Zima]]
| {{nom}}
|}

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0120402|Ulee's Gold}}

{{Victor Nuñez}}

[[Category:1997 films]]
[[Category:1997 drama films]]
[[Category:American drama films]]
[[Category:American independent films]]
[[Category:Films set in Florida]]
[[Category:Orion Pictures films]]
[[Category:Fictional beekeepers]]
[[Category:Films featuring a Best Drama Actor Golden Globe winning performance]]
[[Category:Films about bees]]
[[Category:Films directed by Victor Nuñez]]
[[Category:1997 independent films]]
[[Category:1990s English-language films]]
[[Category:1990s American films]]
[[Category:English-language drama films]]
[[Category:English-language independent films]]