It's not until the second half of "Ulee's Gold" that we hear Peter Fonda's character's full name, Ulysses. Once spoken you can't help feeling the rush of recognition of Homer's influences in this well-acted drama. There is Ulee's dead wife, Penelope--whom was Odysseus' wife in "The Odyssey". There is Ulee's daughter-in-law Helen--whom was responsible for starting the Trojan War in "The Illiad". Ulee is a veteran of the Vietnam War in much the way that Odysseus was of the Trojan War. He tells his grand daugher Penny he survived because of his "trickery" in much the same way Odysseus did with the Trojan Horse. His endurance of the many things which befall him after being sent to retrieve his Helen remind one of the way Odysseus was treated when he returned to his home as a beggar. Nods to Homer aside, this film was slow at times but worth the rental when taken in its entirety. Peter Fonda and Patricia Richardson both give outstanding performances with Fonda well deserving of the Golden Globe for his portrayal of Ulee. Rent it on your next visit to the video store--it won't disappoint.
Review of Ulee's Gold
