Hilary Birmingham's heartfelt directorial debut, set over the course of one sweltering Nebraskan summer, tells the redemptive tale of a family that is coming apart at the seams. Tully Coates, Jr. (Anson Mount), a small-town playboy, lives on a sprawling farm with his withdrawn father, Tully Sr. (Bob Burrus), and sensitive younger brother, Earl (Glenn Fitzgerald). Bouncing from one girl to the next, Tully finds himself in unfamiliar territory when he starts to have deeper feelings for Earl's best friend, Ella (Julianne Nicholson). But just when things begin to get serious between Tully and Ella, a shocking revelation shatters his cool façade, forcing him to confront his past in ways that he could never have imagined. Based on the prize-winning short story by Tom McNeal, TULLY is set in the bleak yet beautiful Midwestern landscape. Birmingham's strikingly humane drama features outstanding performances from the assembled cast, including Mount, Nicholson, Fitzgerald, and Burrus. Employing subtlety and understatement over clichés and melodrama, TULLY rings true with a poignancy that is deeply commendable.
Theatrical Release Date: November 1, 2002 (Limited)
DVD Features:
Region 1
Keep Case
Anamorphic Widescreen
Additional Release Material:
Bonus Short - 1. THE THIRD DATE
Director of Photography
John Foster: Director of Photography
Source Writer
Tom McNeal: Source Writer, TULLY (2002)
Music
Marcelo Zarvos: Music, TULLY (2002)
Review 1:
"...[A] small, beautifully acted movie....[TULLY] has the loose-jointed sprawl and low-key tone of cinema verite..."
Source: New York Times
p.E14 11/01/2002
Review 2:
"...This quiet, sturdy, unshowy tale moves to the plain, honest rhythms of farm life..."
Source: Entertainment Weekly
p.109 11/15/2002
Review 3:
"...Convincingly acted across the board, it's a film with a lot on its mind, a story whose crises slowly gain in intensity..."
Source: Los Angeles Times
p.C6 11/01/2002