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ULEE’S GOLD

What You Need To Know:

Praised at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival, ULEE’S GOLD stars Peter Fonda as Ulee Jackson, a beekeeper in Florida. He copes with raising his two granddaughters, Penny and Casey, because his son, Jimmy, is imprisoned and his daughter-in-law, Helen, has been absent for two years. One day, Ulee goes to rescue Helen from Jimmy’s crime partner, Bill. Bill demands money for Helen and says that unless the money is delivered in a week, he will kill Helen and the granddaughters. Without casualties, Ulee is able to redeem his family and justice prevails.

ULEE’S GOLD has many images and themes of redemption, love and forgiveness. Ulee works hard to provide for his family and even risks his own life to keep his family safe. His loving neighbor, Connie Hope, provides practical assistance. Casey goes from a rebellious teenager to a caring young lady. Penny demonstrates grace to her mother. Jimmy confesses his sins and asks to be accepted back into the family. The movie is rated R because the criminals use harsh language and Helen is seen in the throes of a drug overdose, but there is no sex, no nudity and little violence. This character driven story is about family and the lengths that one man will go to preserve and restore it. Ulee Jackson is a screen hero and his story is worthy watching.

Content:

(CCC, BB, LL, VV, A, D, M) Strong Christian worldview with many redemptive acts; 15 obscenities, 2 vulgarities & 2 profanities; moderate violence including threats with guns, men bind and gag women, man stabs man in back, & threats with guns; no sex; no nudity; alcohol use; smoking & woman withdraws from drugs; and, miscellaneous immorality including rebellious attitudes.

More Detail:

It is encouraging to know that small, but moral movies like THE SPITFIRE GRILL and ULEE’S GOLD are being recognized and praised at the Sundance Film Festival. Selected as the Festival Centerpiece Premiere for the 1997 Sundance Film Festival, ULEE’S GOLD stars Peter Fonda and is written and directed by acclaimed filmmaker, Victor Nunez, who directed the moral, character-driven RUBY IN PARADISE.

Ulee Jackson (Peter Fonda) is a solitary beekeeper in the tupelo marshes of the Florida panhandle. ULEE’S GOLD is neither coin, nor paper money, but tupelo honey – a tangible metaphor of the one consistency in his life which allows him to weather drastic, but positive family change. The only survivor of his battalion during the Vietnam War, he stoically copes with raising his two granddaughters, Penny (Vanessa Zima) and Casey (Jessica Biel, who stars in the MOVIEGUIDE praised TV program SEVENTH HEAVEN). Casey has been rebelling against Ulee’s parenting by dressing up in leather, while Penny remains quiet and obedient. Ulee raises these girls because his son Jimmy, (Tom Wood), has been imprisoned and his daughter-in-law, Helen (Christine Dunford), has been absent for over two years.

One day, Jimmy demands that Ulee come to the prison and talk. There, Jimmy says that Helen is in big trouble, strung out on drugs and resting at the home of Jimmy’s former partners-in-crime, Bill and Ferris, in Orlando. Ulee makes the trip to rescue Helen, but he finds out that these criminals are demanding a ransom for Helen. In her drugged condition, Helen revealed the whereabouts of some money that Bill, Ferris and Jimmy stole in their last hit. Ulee says that he will find the money and give it to them. Bill says that unless the money is delivered in a week, they will kill Helen and his granddaughters.

At home, Ulee’s neighbor, Connie, a nurse, helps Helen come down off the overdose. Meanwhile, Ulee is behind in extracting 30 barrels of tupelo honey from his hives. Penny and Casey help Ulee, as they get re-acquainted with their mother. Time passes, and Bill and Ferris show up early. The film climaxes as the criminals bind and gag the women and take Ulee by gun-point to the location of the money. Without a shoot out or casualties, justice is brought to the criminals, and Ulee is able to redeem his fractured family.

Like the incarnational SPITFIRE GRILL, ULEE’S GOLD carries many Christian images and themes of redemption, love and forgiveness. Ulee works very hard to provide for his family and is shown going the extra mile − even risking his own life to keep his family safe. His only fault is that he doesn’t ask for outside help. The loving neighbor Connie, whose last name is Hope, has a non-judgmental attitude about Ulee’s family and provides practical assistance. She demonstrates that even the strongest among us can’t go at it alone.

The movie includes other redemptive elements. Casey goes from a rebellious, leather-dressing teenager to a caring, normal-looking youth when Ulee takes her mother home. At first, Casey is upset to see her mother, who is going through withdrawal symptoms, but eventually she learns to love and care for her. Likewise, Casey’s sister, Penny, demonstrates grace to her mother by giving her gifts, when she certainly doesn’t deserve them. Furthermore, the criminal, Jimmy Jackson, recognizes the error of his ways, and his family warmly accepts him. Jimmy talks about going into the bee keeping business, and Ulee says there is always a place for him.

Usually, Summer movies are filled with shoot-em-up action fare. ULEE’S GOLD dramatically pours out slowly, like honey, both sweet and smooth. The movie is rated R because the criminals use some harsh language and Helen is seen in the throes of a drug overdose, but this movie could easily have been PG-13. There is no sex, no nudity and little violence. Certainly, none of the violence is gratuitous and meant for a thrill. This character driven story is about family and the lengths that one man will go to preserve and restore it, even at his own expense. Without guns or a karate chop, Ulee Jackson demonstrates a true screen hero.


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