J U LY 31, 2022
S U N D AYS I G N A L · 1 1
E N T E R TA I N M E N T
Hawke ‘Masterfully Executes’ Newman and Woodward Doc By Richard Roeper Signal Contributing Writer
‘The Last Movie Stars’
1/2 (out of four)
A six-part documentary series available Thursday on HBO Max.
T
he first flickering images we see in the enthralling six-part HBO Max documentary series “The Last Movie Stars” are of Paul Newman as Butch Cassidy and Robert Redford as the Sundance Kid, riding across the lonely plains. We then hear the voice of actor Ethan Hawke, who directed this passion project, reminiscing about his youth: “Growing up in Fort Worth, Texas, Sundays meant church. … One hot [day], my stepmother didn’t feel well, and she said she was going to stay home. We’re driving down the highway and my father says, ‘You know, there’s a cowboy picture playing at 11:15, we could go see that instead.’ My father took me to see ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,’ and from that day forward, the movies have been my church of choice.” You get an almost visceral appreciation for Hawke’s unbridled and infectious love of movies and his undying passion for chronicling the life and times of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, the subjects of this brilliantly conceived, masterfully executed, admirably honest and consistently revealing series. When we see Hawke on camera, he’s like a kid on Christmas morning as he gushes about this particular performance or that particular movie. “The Last Movie Stars” is filled with great old TV interviews and clips from Newman’s and Woodward’s most memorable performances (and it’s so great that Hawke allows certain scenes to play out and BREATHE, instead of delivering too-short morsels), and we glean some great insights from Hawke’s interviews with Paul’s daughters — but the real treasure, the real find, is the discovery of boxes of transcripts from Newman’s unpublished autobiography, with Hawke finding the perfect way to bring those interviews and conversations to life. Turns out Newman was working on a book with the screenwriter Stew-
TV shows together, and they were man became the biggest movie star in the world, with a series of great married for a half-century — but it wasn’t all fairy tales and glossy maga- performances in films such as “The Hustler,” “Hud,” “Cool Hand Luke,” zine covers. Newman was married to “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Witte and they had three young chilKid” and “The Sting.” dren when he began seeing WoodStill, even after Newman was an ward — a romance that went on for established icon, there was a feeling years before Newman finally divorced Jackie and eventually married Joanne. he sometimes held back on the big screen. He was nominated for best Newman had a total of six children actor for “Absence of Malice” in 1981, and, in his own words, was often an but when the director Sidney Lumet absentee father who drank a lot. The series also reminds us that for a cast Newman in “The Verdict,” he told Newman he thought his “Malice” time, Woodward was at least as big a performanceadsource@exhibitorads.com was phoned-in, and he star as Newman, the AcadeLaemmle Theatres • Santa Claritawinning Signal challenged Newman to dig deep and my Award for best actress of 1957 for p. 888.737.2812 203.438.1206 3col (4.75”) x 5.9” reveal himself in the part of thef.alco“The Three Faces of Eve.” She was the PHOTO COURTESY IMDB holic attorney Frank Galvin in “The more talented Method actor of the31-August July 4, 2022 Ad insertion date: Sunday-Thursday, Verdict. ” The result was arguably the two. Newman found himself getting art Stern (“Rebel Without a Cause”), Ad creation/delivery date: Tuesday, July 26, 2022 at 10:44:31 AM CASCS_LEM0731-0804.qxp finest and most compelling perforwho had conducted extensive intercast for his looks and considered to mance of Paul Newman’s career. views with Newman, Woodward, be second fiddle to the likes of James “The Last Movie Stars” is brimming Newman’s first wife, Jackie Witte, and Dean and Marlon Brando in terms of with these types of fascinating glimpsa number of industry heavyweights pure talent. Woodward’s career ebbed es throughout. It’s a great documentawho had worked with Newman. For and flowed as she devoted much of ry series about two great stars. reasons unknown, Newman decided her time to raising her three chilagainst the book and burned all the Copyright 2022 Chicago Sun-Times dren and stepchildren, while Newaudio tapes — but only recently was it discovered that Stern had transcribed the interviews. TM Paul and Joanne’s youngest daughter, Clea Newman, contacted Hawke about using these transcripts as the foundation of the documentary. Via 22500 Lyons Ave. info Line 310.478.3836 video chat, Hawke enlisted the help of George Clooney to read Newman’s “part,” Laura Linney to voice Bullet train E Thu: 7:10 PM Woodward’s interviews, Zoe Kazan Brad Pitt as Ladybug, an unlucky assassin determined to do his job peacefully after one too many gigs gone off the rails. Fate, may have other plans, as Ladybug’s latest mission puts him on a collision course with lethal adversaries from around the globe. as Witte, and the likes of Billy CrudDC league of Super-petS B 1:15 4:20 7:20 up, Sam Rockwell, Karen Allen, Josh Krypto the Super-Dog and Superman are inseparable best friends, When Superman and the rest of the Justice League are kidnapped, Krypto must convince a rag-tag shelter pack to help him rescue the Super Heroes. Hamilton, Steve Zahn and Vincent VengeanCe E 1:30 4:30 7:30 D’Onofrio voicing various directors A darkly comic thriller about Ben Manalowitz, a journalist and podcaster who travels from New York City to West Texas to investigate and other associates who played key the death of a girl he was hooking up with. nope E 1:00 4:00 7:00 parts in Newman’s career. (Hawke The film reunites Peele with Oscar® winner Daniel Kaluuya who is joined by Keke Palmer and Oscar® nominee Steven Yeun as wisely keeps the actors off-camera, residents in a lonely gulch of inland California who bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery. MrS. HarriS goeS to pariS B 4:15 PM so we can focus on the words and not Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris tells the story of a widowed cleaning lady in 1950s London who falls madly in love with a couture Dior the performances — and these ARE dress. She works, starves and gambles to raise the funds, then embarks on a life-changing adventure in Paris. WHere tHe CraWDaDS Sing C 1:10 4:10 7:10 performances, with Clooney perfectKya, an abandoned girl who raised herself to adulthood in the dangerous marshlands of North Carolina, finds herself drawn to opens ly underplaying Newman so that we herself to two young men from town. forget that’s George Clooney and feel tHor: loVe anD tHunDer C 1:10 4:10 7:10 “Thor: Love and Thunder” finds Thor on a quest for inner peace. But his retirement is interrupted by a galactic killer, Gorr the God like we’re just listening to Paul NewButcher, who seeks the extinction of the gods. man. Linney and the rest of the comMinionS: tHe riSe of gru B 1:00 3:10 5:20 7:30 A young Gru joins forces with his new Minion friends to take on the supervillain supergroup The Vicious 6. pany are equally wonderful.) MarCel tHe SHell WitH SHoeS on B Sun & Mon: 1:20 PM; Tue: 7:20 PM; Hawke tells the remarkable tale of Wed & Thu: 1:20 PM An adorable one-inch-tall shell is discovered by a documentary filmmaker bringing him unprecedented dangers and a new hope at Newman and Woodward’s personal finding his long-lost family. and professional union in straightCleo froM 5 to 7 I Wed: 7:00 PM A spoiled and beautiful young pop singer wanders across Paris while awaiting the results of a medical test that may show she has forward, chronological fashion, becancer. ginning with their first meeting, as tartuffe Mon: 7:30 PM; Tue: 1:00 PM In his quest for Christian perfection, the wealthy Orgon has welcomed the devout Tartuffe into his home to be a spiritual guide to understudies in 1953. They would go the entire household. But unable to resist temptation himself, Tartuffe falls in love with Orgon’s wife. on to make 16 movies, three BroadFOR 7/31/20228/4/2022 ONLY WWW.LAEMMLE.COM way productions and a number of
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