Tully

Neither high budget action adventure film nor overwrought melodrama, "Tully" is just your basic well-directed small movie that will leave discerning folks with the feeling that the viewing experience was time well spent.Think "East of Eden"; with a father (Bob Burrus) who has still not gotten over the wife who walked away from the family years ago, and a pair of unmarried sons. The James Dean part goes to Anson Mount who plays the title character Tully Coates Jr. (maybe, I suppose the title could refer to Tully Coates, Sr.). The two title characters operate a Nebraska farm with the help of younger brother Earl (Glenn Fitzgerald). The Abra role goes to Julianne Nicholson who plays Ella Smalley, a veterinary student home for the summer.The harsher Cain and Abel elements are somewhat filed down as Ella starts out as Earl's best friend; he is sincerely protective as she and Tully Jr. tentatively produce romantic sparks. There is only mild tension between the three men during the story."Tully" at its most basic is a coming-of-age story for Mount's character and probably my favorite on-screen romance. Best scene for us film language nuts is when Ella discovers some dirt on her face after getting into Tully's car and discretely wipes it off; nonverbally telling us more than could have been communicated in several pages of dialogue.Tully Sr.'s financial problems provide the main side story, which meanders around, occasionally touching the main story, until both storylines intersect at the end. Unlike a lot of parallel storylines, these two have a nice unity, as the tentative progress of the romance is a nice match for the elliptical way in which the side story is slowly revealed.Tully Jr. is the local roué, hard for girls to resist and not inclined to resist the opportunities that come his way. And apparently until this summer Ella has merely been bemused by her friend's brother, even asking him early in the film: "What's it like to drive women crazy?" But then director Hilary Birmingham begins to subtly show Ella picking up on a deeper side of Tully at the same time that he is discovering a vague dissatisfaction with his shallow conquests.The supporting performances are excellent and nicely complement the three main roles.Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

Tully is one of those small films that operates on many levels, and if your attention span has been fried by action pictures and smart phones, you really miss out. First, there's the cinematography and sound. Both capture perfectly the country environment of the story. My family spent summers in the mid-west and Tully allows you see, hear and almost smell the organic life of the land. The earth, the trees moving the colors of the setting sun. Secondly, Anson Mount and Glenn Fitzgerald as brothers, Tully, Jr. and Earl are completely believable as brothers, coping with all the tragedy and secrets their relationship encounters. Julianne NIcholson is perfectly cast as the childhood friend trying to break through the barriers Tully has built for himself. Lastly, Bob Burrus's performance as Tully, Sr. is one of the most moving I have ever seen. Stern, inarticulate and deeply wounded, Burrus plays a man who cannot not express his love for his sons, but will sacrifice anything for them. He broke my heart. Anson Mount shows early on his capacity for making the smallest gesture carry weight, so when he reaches his epiphany moments, you believe he could not have gotten there without pain. This is a small story about ordinary people living ordinary lives and appreciating the profound value they carry. Highly recommended.

They should have made this a country song and not a movie it takes a lot less time. *Spoiler alert* everything that could go wrong did. Only funny scene was when he came home to find his f buddy strung up the hood of his car. The rest of the movie pretty much was a waste of time. Even the ending where his dad died and he was able to save the farm. He sits on the hood of his car with a girl he has some feelings for.The end. What? Thats it?

[Rounded up from 4-1/2 stars] I love when little movies surprise you that you know were made on a shoestring budget but still restore your faith in great movie-making. I had never heard of this movie about two brothers living with their Dad on a Nebraska farm (and a female friend from their childhood who's come back to town and can't decide who she loves), growing up without their Mom, and the secret that'll turn everyone's lives upside down, with an ending that packs an emotional wallop that you won't see coming and would even make a grown man cry. Stars Anson Mount (TV's "Hell on Wheels") and Glenn Fitzgerald as the brothers (and Natalie Canerday, who played that boy's Mom in "Sling Blade," has a supporting role). Filmed in 1999 in Nebraska, Iowa, and Massachusetts, released in 2000, with an oh-so-sweet little ode to "Misty Blue" by Dorothy Moore and discernibly pleasant background sounds from the countryside. This one is extra special and very highly recommended! [I just wondered why the brothers and Dad wore Levi's jeans and not the more typical Wrangler's for the setting, and, to note, the DVD transfer leaves something to be desired, resembling VHS.]

Found this movie while searching for another...and I'm glad I added it to my queue. A thoughtfully written family drama, there are a lot of 4 letter words in the first 5 minutes or so, but then that tapers off and we get to know this farmer and his two almost grown boys trying to keep a farm going in rural Nebraska in the late 90s/early 2000. Kind of like "The River" or "Tex" or even "August: Osage County". It's a good one to rent with the hubby if you're looking for a decent flick to watch.

The disk arrived in perfect condition and quickly. I am so happy to have a copy of Tully. In my opinion, this is a perfect film. It leaves an impression that does not fade. Now I have it in my small DVD collection. Tully is a small film with great characters and story. This is a coming of age story that rings true with every word. Siskel and Ebert, remember them, loved it. If you are looking for another perfect small film that lasts and lasts in the imagination -- similar to Tully -- look for the Grey Fox, a western. In any event a big thumbs up for the disk and the movie.

Item delivered as promised

Great film