Tully (2000 film)

Last updated

Tully
Tully movie poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed byHilary Birmingham
Written byHilary Birmingham
Matt Drake
Story by Tom McNeal
Produced byHilary Birmingham
Anne Sundberg
Starring Glenn Fitzgerald
Anson Mount
Bob Burrus
Julianne Nicholson
CinematographyJohn Foster
Edited byAffonso Gonçalves
Music by Marcelo Zarvos
Production
company
Telltale Films
Distributed bySmall Planet Pictures
Release dates
  • April 14, 2000 (2000-04-14)(Los Angeles Independent Film Festival)
  • November 1, 2002 (2002-11-01)
Running time
102 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$466,664 [1]

Tully is a 2000 American drama film written and directed by Hilary Birmingham, starring Glenn Fitzgerald, Anson Mount, Bob Burrus and Julianne Nicholson. The film was screened at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival on April 14, 2000, and received a limited release in the United States on November 1, 2002. It is based on an O. Henry Award-winning short story by author Tom McNeal.

Contents

Originally titled The Truth About Tully, the film changed its name to avoid confusion with Jonathan Demme's The Truth About Charlie . [2]

Plot

The story centers on the Coates brothers, Tully and Earl, who live on their father's ranch in rural Nebraska. Their mother abandoned the family when the boys were young. Tully is very outgoing and has relationships with many women, including a stripper named April. Earl is more of an introvert.

Ella, a childhood friend of both Coates brothers, comes back to town to start a veterinary practice. Ella appears to have more in common with Earl, as she is reserved and not the typical woman that Tully dates. Yet, they start a relationship.

The elder Coates, Tully Sr., clearly misses his wife and as the film develops, his financial problems worsen. It is eventually shown that his financial problems are due to his wife's medical bills (he never got a divorce). Tully Sr. dies ambiguously. The film's climax shows how the brothers and Ella react to this tragic event.

Cast

Critical reception

The film develops with a very slow pace, and The New York Times critic Stephen Holden praises this in his review:

As deliberately paced as a late-afternoon amble around a homestead, the movie occasionally stops in its tracks to take a deep breath and soak in more of the rural atmosphere. Although this tendency to dawdle may frustrate viewers accustomed to a barrage of visual stimulation, the movie's unhurried rhythm eventually works a quiet spell, and after a while you find yourself settling back, adjusting to the film's bucolic metabolism and appreciating its eye and ear for detail. [3]

Holden also compliments the acting, particularly that of Nicholson, whom he describes as "luminous in an utterly natural way". [3] Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times also commends the film's pace, stating that the "deliberate speed goes hand in hand with its unmistakable sense of place, its attraction to the rhythms of farm life and the unhurried sensibility of its small-town Nebraska setting". [2]

Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a B+ rating, and writes, "the believable young people growing on this plot of soil are never predictable; neither are the unmannered, affecting performances". [4]

Tully has an approval rating of 81% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 52 reviews. [5]

Awards and nominations

AwardCategoryNameResults
Independent Spirit Award [6] Best Debut PerformanceBob BurrusNominated
Independent Spirit AwardBest FeatureHilary Birmingham, Anne SundbergNominated
Independent Spirit AwardBest ScreenplayHilary Birmingham, Matt DrakeNominated
Independent Spirit AwardBest Supporting FemaleJulianne NicholsonNominated
Newport International Film Festival [7] Audience Award, Best DramaHilary BirminghamWon
Gen Art Film Festival [7] Audience Award, Best Feature FilmHilary BirminghamWon

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julianne Moore</span> American actress and author (born 1960)

Julie Anne Smith, known professionally as Julianne Moore, is an American actress and author. Prolific in film since the early 1990s, she is known for her portrayals of emotionally troubled women in independent films, and for her roles in blockbusters. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and two Emmy Awards. In 2015, Time named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world, and in 2020, The New York Times named her one of the greatest actors of the 21st century.

<i>Whats the Worst That Could Happen?</i> 2001 American comedy film by Sam Weisman

What's the Worst That Could Happen? is a 2001 comedy film directed by Sam Weisman and starring Martin Lawrence and Danny DeVito. Loosely based on a book by Donald E. Westlake, the film follows the misadventures of a skilled thief and a wealthy businessman facing financial trouble. The film did not meet expectations and performed poorly commercially.

<i>The Last Tycoon</i> (1976 film) 1976 American romance film by Elia Kazan

The Last Tycoon is a 1976 American period romantic drama film directed by Elia Kazan and produced by Sam Spiegel, based upon Harold Pinter's screenplay adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's unfinished novel The Last Tycoon. It stars Robert De Niro, Tony Curtis, Robert Mitchum, Jack Nicholson, Donald Pleasence, Jeanne Moreau, Theresa Russell and Ingrid Boulting.

<i>Guinevere</i> (1999 film) 1999 film directed by Audrey Wells

Guinevere is a 1999 American drama film about the artistic and romantic relationship between a young student and her older mentor.

<i>The Good Girl</i> 2002 American black comedy-drama film

The Good Girl is a 2002 American comedy-drama film directed by Miguel Arteta from a script by Mike White. The film stars Jennifer Aniston, Jake Gyllenhaal and John C. Reilly.

<i>Full Frontal</i> (film) 2002 film

Full Frontal is a 2002 American comedy-drama film by Steven Soderbergh about a day in the life of a handful of characters in Hollywood. It stars Catherine Keener, Blair Underwood, David Duchovny, Julia Roberts, Mary McCormack, Nicky Katt, Brad Pitt, and David Hyde Pierce. The film was shot on digital video using the Canon XL-1s in under a month. The film blurs the line between what is real and what is fiction in its depiction of a film within a film.

<i>Kinsey</i> (film) 2004 American film

Kinsey is a 2004 American biographical drama film written and directed by Bill Condon. It describes the life of Alfred Charles Kinsey, a pioneer in the area of sexology. His 1948 publication, Sexual Behavior in the Human Male was one of the first recorded works that tried to scientifically address and investigate sexual behavior in humans. The film also stars Laura Linney, Chris O'Donnell, Peter Sarsgaard, Timothy Hutton, John Lithgow, Tim Curry, and Oliver Platt.

<i>The War at Home</i> (1996 film) 1996 film by Emilio Estevez

The War at Home is a 1996 American drama war film directed by and starring, and co-produced by Emilio Estevez. The film also stars Kathy Bates and Martin Sheen. Writer James Duff adapted his 1984 play Homefront.

<i>Serving Sara</i> 2002 film by Reginald Hudlin

Serving Sara is a 2002 American romantic comedy film directed by Reginald Hudlin and starring Matthew Perry, Elizabeth Hurley, and Bruce Campbell. The story follows a process server given the assignment to serve a British socialite with divorce papers, but is persuaded to serve her husband instead so that she can get a larger portion of his money in the divorce. The film was panned by critics and did poorly at the box office, debuting in the top 10 when it was released on August 23, 2002, in the US, where it grossed only $5,750,000 on the weekend.

<i>Stuart Saves His Family</i> 1995 American film

Stuart Saves His Family is a 1995 American comedy film directed by Harold Ramis based on a series of Saturday Night Live sketches from the early to mid-1990s. The film follows the adventures of would-be self-help guru Stuart Smalley, a creation of comedian Al Franken, as he attempts to save both his deeply troubled family and his low-rated public-access television show. Some of the plot is inspired by Franken's book, I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me!: Daily Affirmations by Stuart Smalley.

<i>Mulholland Falls</i> 1996 film by Lee Tamahori

Mulholland Falls is a 1996 American neo-noir crime thriller film directed by Lee Tamahori, written by Pete Dexter, and starring an ensemble cast featuring Nick Nolte, Jennifer Connelly, Chazz Palminteri, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, Melanie Griffith, Andrew McCarthy, Treat Williams, and John Malkovich.

<i>Waking the Dead</i> (film) 2000 American film

Waking the Dead is a 2000 mystery drama film directed by Keith Gordon and starring Billy Crudup and Jennifer Connelly. The screenplay by Robert Dillon is based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Scott Spencer.

<i>Blue Car</i> 2002 American film

Blue Car is a 2002 American drama film directed and written by Karen Moncrieff. It was the first film she directed and wrote. The film stars David Strathairn, Agnes Bruckner, Margaret Colin, and Frances Fisher.

<i>Lipstick and Dynamite, Piss and Vinegar: The First Ladies of Wrestling</i> 2004 film

Lipstick and Dynamite: The First Ladies of Wrestling is a 2004 documentary film about the early days of women's professional wrestling in North America. It was directed by Ruth Leitman, who interviewed The Fabulous Moolah, Mae Young, Gladys "Kill 'Em" Gillem, Ida Mae Martinez, Ella Waldek and Penny Banner for the film. The film premiered in 2004 in Toronto and was screened at various film festivals across the United States. The film also had a limited release in theaters in 2005. Reviews for the film were mixed.

<i>Passion of Mind</i> 2000 American film

Passion of Mind is a 2000 American drama film starring Demi Moore. It was the first English-language film from Belgian director Alain Berliner, best known for the arthouse success Ma Vie en Rose (1997). The film received negative reviews from critics and became a box-office bomb, grossing just $769,272 against its $12 million budget. Moore received a nomination for the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress for her roles.

<i>Two Weeks</i> (2006 film) 2006 American film

Two Weeks is a 2006 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Steve Stockman and starring Sally Field. Ensemble cast also includes Ben Chaplin, Julianne Nicholson, Tom Cavanagh, Glenn Howerton and Jenny O'Hara.

The Stars Fell on Henrietta is a 1995 American drama film from Warner Bros., directed by James Keach and produced by Clint Eastwood. The film is based on a short story written by Winifred Sanford titled "Luck". The script for the film was penned by Philip Railsback, who is Sanford's grandson.

<i>Wild West Comedy Show: 30 Days and 30 Nights – Hollywood to the Heartland</i> 2006 American film

Wild West Comedy Show: 30 Days and 30 Nights – Hollywood to the Heartland is a comedy documentary film directed by Ari Sandel and follows the 30-day comedy tour of several stand up comedians. It premiered September 8, 2006, at the Toronto International Film Festival. It opened in wide release in the United States on February 8, 2008.

<i>World Traveler</i> 2001 film by Bart Freundlich

World Traveler is a 2001 Canadian-American drama film written and directed by Bart Freundlich, and starring Billy Crudup and Julianne Moore. It was screened at the 2001 Toronto International Film Festival.

<i>Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love</i> 2019 documentary film

Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love is a 2019 documentary film directed by Nick Broomfield, about the relationship between writer and singer Leonard Cohen and his "muse" Marianne Ihlen, in particular their time spent on the Greek island of Hydra in the 1960s and 1970s. She was the inspiration behind "So Long, Marianne", "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye" and "Bird on the Wire".

References

  1. Tully at Box Office Mojo
  2. 1 2 Turan, Kenneth (November 1, 2002). "Tully". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 15, 2009.
  3. 1 2 Holden, Stephen (November 1, 2002). "A Troubled Family's Farm, Where Fate Comes Calling". The New York Times. Retrieved April 15, 2009.
  4. Schwarzbaum, Lisa (November 15, 2002). "Tully (2002)". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 22, 2013. Retrieved April 15, 2009.
  5. "Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  6. "Independent Spirit Awards (2003)". IMDB. Retrieved March 27, 2011.
  7. 1 2 "Variety.com".{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)