A pretty good little movie. The pace is a little slow, and often not much seems to be happening. This is not a bad thing here. Hollywood is usually so formulaic that they must not be discouraged when they try something a little different. Everything worked well here, the acting, the photography, the direction. Yes, Peter Fonda turned in a fine performance. I wonder if as much would have been made of this if Fonda hadn't spent most of his career playing in total stinkers, though. The small-time crooks, Fonda must deal with (including his son) are such losers they seem directly imported from an Elmore Leonard novel. Special mention for the child actress Vanessa Zima (Penny Jackson). She performed wonderfully in her role, full of soulful and meaningful looks. Either she is a very good child actress, or the casting director did a great job finding a girl who looks the part.

Peter Fonda received his only Oscar nomination for Best Actor in this film which got no other recognition from the Academy. As Ulysses Jackson he's the troubled patriarch of his family. Right now widower Fonda is raising his two granddaughters Jessica Biel and Vanessa Zima because their father is in jail and their mother. ran off and is on narcotics. Fonda works as a beekeeper in the Florida Everglades swamps.

Visiting son Tom Wood in jail, Wood asks Fonda to fetch his wife who is now running around with his two low life running buddies who pulled a bank job, but it was Wood who was arrested and doing a stretch. They think that wife Christina Dunford knows where the loot is, but she's too strung out to help them.

They let Dunford go with Fonda, but they want his help in getting the stolen loot. The running buddies are a pair with Dewey Weber threatening to go psycho any minute and Steven Flynn cooler, but maybe more deadly.

The climax is with Fonda taking these two to where the loot is with the rest of the family tied up at home.

This was the beauty of this film. Fonda is no hero, he's a good man, tends to be self righteous, but still a decent soul. He's not used to dealing with criminals though his son is one. Can he outwit these two is what Ulee's Gold boils down to.

Fonda gives a wonderful performance and one can see why he got the Oscar nomination. He lost to Jack Nicholson for As Good As It Gets. Also in the cast are Patricia Richardson as Fonda's neighbor and a nurse and J.Kenneth Campbell as a very wise sheriff.

The cinematography of the Florida swamps is good as well. Ulee's Gold is a crowning achievement in the career of Peter Fonda.

Ulee Jackson (Peter Fonda) is a beekeeper taking care of his granddaughters Penny (Vanessa Zima) and the rebellious Casey (Jessica Biel). His son Jimmy (Tom Wood) calls from prison. He tells him that his wife Helen (Christine Dunford) is in trouble and Ulee needs to rescue her from his old running mates Eddie Flowers and Ferris Dooley. They tell him that their last job is suppose to have an extra $100k and they want their money. Ulee takes the drug addicted Helen home. Penny asks next door neighbor Dr. Connie Hope (Patricia Richardson) for help.

Fonda gives a quiet but powerful performance. Ulee is a salt-of-the-earth solid character. His family is a shattered one. Like Victor Nunez's previous movie 'Ruby in Paradise', he has given a perfect showcase for his lead. The story is simple but effective. For all the low world influence, the violence is pretty tame. The movie can feel tame but it has a deeper heart.