Ulee’s Gold (1997)
86%RT Audience Score: 75%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 Oscar
8 wins & 17 nominations total
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
Ulee’s Gold is the bee’s knees! This movie is a sweet surprise that will leave you buzzing with emotion. Peter Fonda’s performance is honey-sweet and perfectly understated. The film is a refreshing break from Hollywood’s usual melodramatic buzz and instead focuses on character development. It’s a low-key drama that’s played slow and sage, but it’s worth the wait. Don’t be afraid to take a chance on this modest delight – it’s a craftwork of exceptional detail and nuance that will leave you feeling like you struck gold.
Production Company(ies)
Castle Rock Entertainment,
Distributor
Orion Pictures, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Apalachicola, Florida, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language
Year of Release
1997
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Dolby SR
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Aspect ratio:1.66 : 1
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Runtime:1h 51m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jun 13, 1997 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 1, 2001
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Peter Fonda, Patricia Richardson, Jessica Biel, J Kenneth Campbell, Christine Dunford, Steven Flynn, directed by Victor Nunez, written by Victor Nunez, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by David Ansen, Owen Gleiberman, Geoff Andrew, Liam Lacey, Desson Thomson, Peter Travers, Matt Brunson, Dan Webster, Emanuel Levy, Michael Dequina, Robin Clifford, R rating, beekeeper, Vietnam veteran, family crisis, sacrifice, granddaughters, prison, drug dealers, withdrawal, Dolby, Surround, 35mm, 16mm, 1.66:1, Orion Pictures, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc., Ulysses ‘Ulee’ Jackson, Connie Hope, Sheriff Bill Floyd, Eddie Flowers, Tom Wood, Helen Jackson, Sound Mix
Worldwide gross: $9,161,691
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $17,078,133
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,766
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 1,862,392
US/Canada gross: $9,161,691
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $17,078,133
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,461
US/Canada opening weekend: $89,563
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $166,953
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,733
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $2,700,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $5,033,018
Production budget ranking: 1,879
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $2,710,280
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $9,334,834
ROI to date (est.): 121%
ROI ranking: 854
Patricia Richardson – Connie Hope
Jessica Biel – Casey Jackson
J. Kenneth Campbell – Sheriff Bill Floyd
Christine Dunford – Helen Jackson
Steven Flynn – Eddie Flowers
Director(s)
Victor Nunez
Writer(s)
Victor Nunez
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
8 wins & 17 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (51) | Top Critics (17) | Fresh (48) | Rotten (3)
Nunez’s use of melodrama is as refreshingly anti-Hollywood as ever: the action is entirely in the service of character. What’s startling about this quiet, un-hyped-up film is how moving it is.
February 28, 2018
David Ansen
Newsweek
TOP CRITIC
September 7, 2011 | Rating: A
Owen Gleiberman
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
This low-key drama is played slow and sage.
June 24, 2006
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
One of those unexpected pleasures that combines a low budget with a high emotional impact.
April 25, 2003 | Rating: 3/4
Liam Lacey
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
A modest delight.
January 22, 2002
Desson Thomson
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
This is no bakery-grade honey.
May 11, 2001 | Rating: 4.5/5
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone
TOP CRITIC
Peter Fonda delivers the performance of his career in this excellent indie hit.
August 24, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy
Writer/director Nunez holds the threat of danger over all that happens, but the film is less a study of violence than it is a look at how one makes hard decisions in the face of harsh circumstances.
March 27, 2019 | Rating: 4/4
Dan Webster
Spokesman-Review (Washington)
Deceptively old-fashioned, this is an emotionally quiet but rewarding portrait of a taciturn beekeeper (marvelously played by Peter Fonda, who resembles his dad) forced to emerged out of his solitary, sheltered life and face his family responsibilities
August 31, 2006 | Rating: 4/5
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
Peter Fonda’s portrayal of Florida beekeeper Ulee Jackson is a masterpiece of restraint, confident and finely etched, understated yet always in control.
September 10, 2005 | Rating: 3.5/4
Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com
A craftwork of exceptional detail and nuance.
April 9, 2005 | Rating: A
Robin Clifford
Reeling Reviews
A profusion of perfect performances
March 31, 2005 | Rating: 3/5
Caffeinated Clint
Moviehole…
Plot
Ulee is called one day by his incarcerated son, Jimmy, asking for a favor. Jimmy will repay his debts if they save his wife, Helen, from hoodlums. Ulee must now risk his and his family’s lives to save Helen.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Peter Fonda delivers the performance of his career in this excellent indie hit.
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