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| "Tully" is set in a small Nebraska farming community and is the type of movie you sadly don't see made often these days. The pace of the film fits the rural setting and the acting is wonderfully subdued. The seemingly ho-hum story manages to hold a surprise or two. The cinematography is wonderfully understated and it appears mostly natural lighting was used. |
(2003) Film Review |
| This page was created on November 25, 2003
This page was last updated on
December 4, 2003
—Review
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| CREDITS |
| Directed by Hilary Birmingham
Screenplay by Hilary Birmingham and Matt Drake
Story by Tom McNeal
Cast (in credits order)
Glenn Fitzgerald .... Earl Coates
Anson Mount .... Tully Coates Jr.
Bob Burrus .... Tully Coates Sr.
Julianne Nicholson .... Ella Smalley
Laura Walker .... Wendy Adams
Joe Smalley .... Brad
Tim Driscoll .... Clarence Heiting
Aaron Zavitz .... Chuck
Christopher Kling .... Dexter
Catherine Kellner .... April Reece
Vivek Kumar .... Essa
John Durbin .... Marshall
V. Craig Heidenreich .... Burt Hodges
Natalie Canerday .... Claire
Kathryn Gayner .... Irene Duffy
Harry Gibbs .... Mr. Sullivan
Delaney Driscoll .... Mrs. Smalley
Michael McCormack .... Fred Robertson
Richard Hansen .... Charlie
Justin Hyde .... Deodorant Boy
John Diehl .... Mal 'Mac' MacAvoy
Mellisa Bryson .... Jeannie
Andy Signore .... Pete Heiting
Produced by
Hilary Birmingham .... producer
Chip Signore .... associate producer
Anne Sundberg .... producer
Debi Zelko .... line producer
Original Music by Marcelo Zarvos
Non-Original Music by Bob Montgomery (song "Misty Blue")
Cinematography by John Foster
Film Editing by Affonso Gonçalves
MPAA: Rated R for language and some sexual content.
Runtime: 102 min
For rating reasons, go to FILMRATINGS.COM, and MPAA.ORG.
Parents, please refer to PARENTALGUIDE.ORG |
| TRAILERS AND CLIPS |
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QuickTime, Lo-Res, 1.2MB |
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| SYNOPSIS |
 Tully explores a legacy of love between a family of men, and the events of one summer that change their world forever. Through the eyes of Tully Coates Jr. (Anson Mount) - the local heartthrob and eldest son - a world is revealed where secrets are kept close beneath wide open skies as a distant father and his two sons struggle with a past that has come back to haunt them. The loss of their mother years
ago has left the Coates boys adrift, each longing for a connection to a woman they never knew. A separation has grown between Tully and his reclusive father (Bob Burrus), who lives in isolation even as he works side by side with his sons. Determined not to meet the same lonely fate, Tully runs wild with the women in town though he is careful to keep them all at a safe distance.
Tully's shy younger brother Earl (Glenn Fitzgerald) is just the opposite, possessing an emotional maturity to comprehend things that Tully has yet to see or feel. In his quiet way, Earl is in Tully's shadow, but Earl knows something that Tully may not yet be able to handle.
The one thing that Tully and Earl do have in common is an appreciation for Earl's straight- talking best friend Ella (Julianne Nicholson), a young woman smart enough to refuse overtures from a womanizer like Tully and strong enough to become his friend. As Earl watches warily, Tully becomes closer to Ella than anyone expected . but when devastating news pushes Tully into her arms, he runs away before he can begin to feel what might be true love.
Tully's discovery of a long buried secret that now threatens his family and their farm brings him to confront his father about the ghosts of a past that have pushed them apart. When he discovers that his father's decisions were made out of love for his family, Tully begins to appreciate his father's strength. With the air cleared, Tully's own true feelings emerge.
The film is based on the award-winning story by Tom McNeal , with the screenplay adaptation by Matt Drake and Hilary Birmingham. Tully is Birmingham's feature directing debut and is produced by Annie Sundberg and Birmingham.
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Review by BENN BECKER
Benn has an undergradute degree in Finance from the University of Nebraska and is working towards a masters in both Business and English. He owns some farmland and is currently writing a novel. He lives in Lincoln, NE. |
 "Tully" is set in a small Nebraska farming community and is the type of movie you sadly don't see made often these days. The pace of the film fits the rural setting and the acting is wonderfully subdued. The seemingly ho-hum story manages to hold a surprise or two. The cinematography is wonderfully understated
and it appears mostly natural lighting was used.
The film was shot in 24 days and found a distributor quickly. However, said distributor went bankrupt shortly thereafter and the film was "held up" because it was listed as an asset by the distributor. Further complicating things was the fact that the distributor was based in Canada, so the filmmakers had to learn Canadian Bankruptcy Law in order to get the film back. This 2000 film was finally released in late 2002 and then released on video in July of 2003.
 RURAL LIFE
Nebraska is the only state to not allow corporate farming, although there seem to be plenty of ways around those laws. Tully Coates, Jr. (ANSON MOUNT) and his younger brother Earl (GLENN FITZGERALD) help work the family farm with their father Tully, Sr (wonderfully played by BOB BURRUS). The film gives us a feel for rural life and its routine feel--a trip to the "Dairy Treat" is a special occasion. Everyone knows everyone, little changes, and it's a financial grind. Trips to the local
pond are great midday diversions and offer a place to think. When that doesn't work, you can pull the truck into the field and look up at the night sky amongst the cattle. There's nothing like a quiet night in the country for the soul . under stars hid from city sight.
FAMILY TIES
Tully and his little brother share the typical older-younger brother relationship--arguments and fights, followed by periods of subdued and hesitant friendship. Tully and his father's relationship is strained. Father is emotionally distant and son is bitter that his father won't fully include him in the workings of the farm. The absence of Tully and Earl's mother adds to the family tension. Without any emotional connection Tully is growing numb (similar to his father).
THE OPPOSITE SEX
Tully has made his rounds through most of the women in the area and is seeing a local stripper. Earl's friend Ella (JULIANNE NICHOLSON) has returned from college and Tully gets to know her on a deeper level--possibly the only true connection he's had to any female. Their relationship prompts him to examine himself and live a little more fully and honestly. Love can provide fulfillment and offers much more than lust in the long run.
CONCLUSION
The ending deals with sacrifice and many will find it disagreeable, but it's quite compelling. I recommend this film to anyone who enjoys independent films which give us a view of life that we don't generally find coming out of Hollywood. Check out "Tully"! |
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