Life for Cassie (Rosanna Arquette) has never been the same after she stabbed her boyfriend for leaving her because she was pregnant. Forced to give up her child for adoption, with her troubled past always close behind, Cassie struggles with depression, suicide attempts and trust issues. While her life is in shambles, a stagehand for a traveling theater troupe, Riley (Eric Roberts), makes his way into her small world. Taken by her, Riley intends to win her heart and give her life a second chance.

For thoughts on Nobody’s Fool (1986), please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/XVdHVOn5xZ0?si=s-nHEex66oRaYMEH&t=3950]

Video Quality

Nobody’s Fool arrives on Blu-Ray with a 1080p transfer in its original 1.85:1 which appears to be from a passable older master from MGM. Colors are saturated well with an essential vibrancy within costumes, production design, and exterior backgrounds. Black levels are somewhat inconsistent when it comes to depth, as there are key moments when you want more clarity. Highlights are consistent without any obvious blooming at play. The picture keeps its natural film grain with no exceptional density fluctuations. The transfer sidesteps most damage and digital manipulation. The transfer does not make it through completely unscathed with intermittent specks of damage throughout. The transfer is pleasantly defined with nice clarity when it comes to unlocking details. Compression artifacts and other digital anomalies do not sully the image. MGM has done an okay job even without a new master.

Audio Quality

MGM brings us this new Blu-Ray with a lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix that captures the film well enough. The environmental effects make the world feel a bit more three-dimensional. Sound effects add some appreciable texture to the proceedings. Dialogue flows through clearly without being overshadowed on any front. The soundtrack and the score establish the mood for the story that maintains its fidelity without issue. MGM has treated this one pretty well overall. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided.

Special Features

There are no special features provided on the disc.

Final Thoughts

Nobody’s Fool is a great showcase for Rosanna Arquette, who navigates this coming-of-age story with natural charm and quick humor. We love her main storyline of finding herself in the aftermath of a failed relationship through creativity in the theater. Where things get more rocky is in the subsequent romance that is not as charming as the movie seems to want us to think it is. The film conjures up enough goodwill to make it a pleasant watch, but we see avenues that could have strengthened it overall. MGM has brought this film to Blu-Ray with a fine A/V presentation but nothing in the way of special features. Even with its imperfections, this is worth seeking out. Recommended

Nobody’s Fool can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: MGM has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.