My Review- The Last Movie Stars
A HBO Max 6 part Documentary
My Rating 9/10
This fascinating retrospective look at the lives and work of Paul Newman and his wife of over 50 years Joanne Woodward is an intimate documentary that evolved as a Covid film project for actor producer writer Ethan Hawke.
It's of special appeal to any film historian or the many fans of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward who were undoubtedly two of the greatest movie actors in the history of Hollywood.
This documentary is more than just movie trivia it's the greatest insight I've seen into the lives and careers of two major film stars and their long marriage .
In comparison to the great Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor who's on again off again tempestuous relationship was displayed in every tabloid press headline Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward managed to keep their personal relationship away from prying eyes.
In a way I think it's a bit sad that their lives up's and downs are now so public but their great love and strength comes through in each episode even when they were both faced with great challenges.
Thankfully it's obvious from the transcripts and family interviews that theirs was a true love match despite some great challenges .
Joanne Woodward was a bigger star when they first met in early 1950 and we see Paul Newman's film career eclipse his wife's when Joanne Woodward's box office draw and fame dropped . This was a direct result of a growing family and her decision to manage their home while her husband became the most desired male star in Hollywood with hit movie after hit movie.
They both had huge career and marriage hurdles to overcome with Paul Newman's heavy boozing and the death of his son Scott in 1978 as a result of Barbiturate and alcohol poisoning.
Paul Newman died in 2008 and sadly Joanne Woodward who is over 90 years old and hasn't been photographed since 2013 suffers from advanced Alzheimer's disease and is in care.
It's reported her family who participated in this fine documentary requested it to be released while their mother and grandmother was still alive so that she could see it and to be a support for her .
The series as well as its Director Ethan Hawke also features other notable Hollywood celebrities including Laura Linney ,George Clooney and Sam Rockwell who all voice over the characters like Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward and Gore Vidal that feature in the long lost interview transcripts that were found by the Newman family in 2019.
The writer credited with this series the late Stewart Stern wrote the interview transcripts used in the series that brings it to life through the voices of George Clooney as Paul Newman and Laura Linney who played Joanne Woodward's troublesome daughter in the 1993 Tele movie Blind Spot.
Stewart Stern also wrote the screenplays for some of Joanne Woodward'S greatest movies and television roles like Sybil 1976) Summer Wishes Winter Dreams ( 1973) Rachel Rachel (1966) plus the classic 1955 Rebel Without a Cause so no wonder the transcripts used in the series are interesting.
This great documentary is much more than a behind the scenes of great movies story some I haven't seen yet and will search out .
It's primarily a love story about two dedicated and good human beings widely respected by their peers who both gave back more than they took from their fame and wealth.
Paul Newman was also a businessman and philanthropist who launched a line of food products in 1982 that sold worldwide. It was reported that $250 million of profits were donated to charity prompting Paul Newman to joke that he was embarrassed that his salad dressing was outgrossing his films.
I thoroughly recommend this fine documentary to anyone interested in movies or anyone wanting to know more about the history of Hollywood and the stars that contributed their talent to the films they appeared in.
My Rating 9/10
This fascinating retrospective look at the lives and work of Paul Newman and his wife of over 50 years Joanne Woodward is an intimate documentary that evolved as a Covid film project for actor producer writer Ethan Hawke.
It's of special appeal to any film historian or the many fans of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward who were undoubtedly two of the greatest movie actors in the history of Hollywood.
This documentary is more than just movie trivia it's the greatest insight I've seen into the lives and careers of two major film stars and their long marriage .
In comparison to the great Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor who's on again off again tempestuous relationship was displayed in every tabloid press headline Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward managed to keep their personal relationship away from prying eyes.
In a way I think it's a bit sad that their lives up's and downs are now so public but their great love and strength comes through in each episode even when they were both faced with great challenges.
Thankfully it's obvious from the transcripts and family interviews that theirs was a true love match despite some great challenges .
Joanne Woodward was a bigger star when they first met in early 1950 and we see Paul Newman's film career eclipse his wife's when Joanne Woodward's box office draw and fame dropped . This was a direct result of a growing family and her decision to manage their home while her husband became the most desired male star in Hollywood with hit movie after hit movie.
They both had huge career and marriage hurdles to overcome with Paul Newman's heavy boozing and the death of his son Scott in 1978 as a result of Barbiturate and alcohol poisoning.
Paul Newman died in 2008 and sadly Joanne Woodward who is over 90 years old and hasn't been photographed since 2013 suffers from advanced Alzheimer's disease and is in care.
It's reported her family who participated in this fine documentary requested it to be released while their mother and grandmother was still alive so that she could see it and to be a support for her .
The series as well as its Director Ethan Hawke also features other notable Hollywood celebrities including Laura Linney ,George Clooney and Sam Rockwell who all voice over the characters like Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward and Gore Vidal that feature in the long lost interview transcripts that were found by the Newman family in 2019.
The writer credited with this series the late Stewart Stern wrote the interview transcripts used in the series that brings it to life through the voices of George Clooney as Paul Newman and Laura Linney who played Joanne Woodward's troublesome daughter in the 1993 Tele movie Blind Spot.
Stewart Stern also wrote the screenplays for some of Joanne Woodward'S greatest movies and television roles like Sybil 1976) Summer Wishes Winter Dreams ( 1973) Rachel Rachel (1966) plus the classic 1955 Rebel Without a Cause so no wonder the transcripts used in the series are interesting.
This great documentary is much more than a behind the scenes of great movies story some I haven't seen yet and will search out .
It's primarily a love story about two dedicated and good human beings widely respected by their peers who both gave back more than they took from their fame and wealth.
Paul Newman was also a businessman and philanthropist who launched a line of food products in 1982 that sold worldwide. It was reported that $250 million of profits were donated to charity prompting Paul Newman to joke that he was embarrassed that his salad dressing was outgrossing his films.
I thoroughly recommend this fine documentary to anyone interested in movies or anyone wanting to know more about the history of Hollywood and the stars that contributed their talent to the films they appeared in.