Tully (DVD) Anson Mount, Julianne Nicholson NEW

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 (Anson Mount), a small-town playboy, lives on a sprawling farm with his withdrawn father, Tully Sr.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 fasade, 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 cliches and melodrama, TULLY rings true with a poignancy that is deeply commendable.