The New Paul Newman & Joanne Woodward Documentary Will Make You More Creative And A Better Lover.
Considered going with a softer title, but this one is probably true. I guess that’s up to you. So, how can Ethan Hawke’s new documentary “The Last Movie Stars” about the lives of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward make you more creative and a better lover? Let’s count the ways:
It’s Inherently Creative Itself
The first reaction of anyone hearing there was going to be a Newman Woodward documentary was likely the same, “Oh no, they’re going to ruin them too.” Afterall, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward were the enduring Hollywood couple, they got the watch for 30+ years of service— these two weren’t the normal Hollywood neon, they were oak. Would Ethan Hawke do them dirty like another recent HBO documentary “Winning Time?” Only worse, because unlike Jerry West, Newman who died in 2008 and Woodward who is currently battling with Alzheimer’s wouldn’t be able to defend themselves. After this initial worry, questions like who in the world was going to play Paul Newman in the documentary crept into your head, all of it making you wonder if this should even happen in the first place.
It's quite clear that director Ethan Hawke had precisely the same worries when he decided to put this documentary together. Therefore he decided to take a completely different approach, an approach Jane and Paul themselves would have loved. Hawke was starting with a bevy of source material. It turns out a Paul Newman memoir was at one point going to be a thing. So much so that there were countless hours of recorded conversations with some of the couples best (and usually famous) friends. And we’re talking real depth here, including a cassette filled by Newman’s first wife.
But at some point, Newman burned all these cassettes. Which is also a reason to watch, knowing there’s a person that would decide on a whim to do that. Luckily for us (and Jane and Paul—chef’s kiss to Mr. Hawke) these recorded conversations had been transcribed before Newman made a towering inferno of them.
Hawke’s journey started with a storage unit full of transcribed conversations about Newman and Woodward and their relationship. Where he chose to go next is what makes “The Last Movie Stars” such an elegant ride. Rather than try to recreate these two individuals who gave their lives to their craft, Hawke kept the pair themselves on-screen using old footage and no reenactments. Next Hawke enlisted famous actors to read from the transcriptions of those archival interviews, acting as players in voice only. The result is a table read meets celebrities voicing an animated blockbuster. "The Last Movie Stars” has George Clooney reading as Paul and Laura Linney as Joanne. And even though Clooney brings his own brand of cool to the table (he is George Clooney after all), it works because you need someone in Newman’s tax bracket to pull it off. Does Laura Linney occasionally lend some Wendy Byrde vibes to Woodward? Sure, but we suspect that was all by design, and presumably accurate. These creative choices are the magic of “The Last Movie Stars,” and what makes it so unique.
Hawke also chooses to mix in some Zoom calls with contributors ranging from David Letterman to Martin Scorsese and Sally Field, effectively including his creative process in the final product. The result is intoxicating as we get all the glitz and glamour scene stealing of Newman and Woodward paired with Hawke’s gang trying to put the puzzle together so that it looks like the box. The result is “The Last Movie Star” is both layered and deep. It feels like a trip into Newman and Woodward’s attic. And Hawke’s transparency about trying to determine what their story really was really about, actually adds to the story he ends up telling.
Commit to Your Craft
At the end of “The Last Movie Stars” we see one partner who chose craft completely, Newman, and the sacrifices he had to make to get there. On the other side, Woodward chooses to pause her career and raise their blended family, resulting in a different set of ups and downs.
Throughout “The Last Movie Stars” both Newman and Woodward are infatuated with their craft of acting—their committment best represented by “The Actor’s Vow” penned by their friend Elia Kazan:
When it came to acting, Woodward was a natural who famously said, “Acting is like sex, you should do it, not talk about it.” In contrast, Newman was a tactician always feeling inferior, driven by internal doubt and shame. Even Woodward who chose family over fame hauntingly closes one episode saying if she had the chance to do it all again, she wouldn’t have had kids because actors make lousy parents.
Ultimately, it’s the layering that makes “The Last Movie Stars” so fresh and enjoyable. Hawke intertwines the narrative like a triple helix as we have the real lives of Newman and Woodward, melded with the parts of those lives they pull into their films, finally blended with the almost “Goonies” style journey of the Players led by Hawke himself working to piece the film together in the right way.
All it takes to know Hawke’s format works is to watch Brooks Ashmanskas read a few lines as the iconic Gore Vidal. Ashmanskas goes full send as if he’s voicing the next great animated Pixar character. Even the music provides additional depth as Hawke has seemingly factored in the song lyrics to add yet another layer. If you haven’t Shazaam’d Hamilton Leithauser, you’re about to.
Be Of Your Time
At the height of his fame, Newman makes a decision to be “of his time.” He jokes that his biggest fear would be being out of work because his eyes turned brown. While Newman was joking, this quote shows his fear of not mattering, and of being an actor that spends his entire life playing the roles of other people while building nothing of himself.
But what’s nice about “The Last Movie Stars” is instead of trumpeting the fact that Newman dropped what he was doing to attend MLK’s march on Washington, they reference an iconic photo of Newman and Woodward with Doctor King only to reveal his children still can’t look at it because their dad looks so hungover, and their mom looks like she’s still mad at him about it. You wouldn’t think with all this creative layering and technique that Hawke would be able to find such tall stacks of truth, but he does. And, yes, from the looks of it, Newman’s “I have a Dream” speech would have included three Advil and a nap that day.
Luck Is An Art
Hawke believes many of the lessons of this documentary manifest in the film “The Color of Money.” Namely an understanding that “Luck is an art.” Meaning that what really matters isn’t luck itself, it’s what you do with it. You need to put in the work.
This is a lesson Newman himself would learn later in life, as he and Woodward emphasized philanthropy establishing both The Hole in the Wall Gang and Newman’s Own brand, ultimately donating hundreds of millions of dollars to charity.
Every Relationship Has a 3rd Person—The Relationship Itself
The ultimate message of “The Last Movie Stars” is something that Hawke’s daughter reveals to him on a Zoom call. She says that every relationship has a third person—the relationship itself. In the end, this is the story Hawke ends up telling in “The Last Movie Stars.” It’s a documentary that’s as much Newward as it is Woodman, in that you’re unable to determine where Paul ends and Joanne begins. But more than that, it’s a beautiful story told lovingly.
The love story Hawke tells in “The Last Movie Stars” is as epic and sweeping as “The Notebook,” only Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams have been upgraded with Newman and Woodward starring in their own story. It’s a story of growing up together and growing old together. It’s a story of second chances, and being in it for the long haul. While both Newman and Woodward were consumed with their craft, “The Last Movie Stars” is a reminder that in the end the relationships you have with your spouse, family, and a few good friends are your greatest work.
The body language of “The Last Movie Stars” is that of a family remembering its folks. Hawke shows that level of respect and intimacy, while still pressing for answers. Hawke goes to great lengths to talk to the Newman children, and includes Paul’s ex-wife. The final portrait he paints of Paul and Joanne and the relationship itself is one of stamina and loyalty. Just like their craft, the key to their love and marriage was getting up and going to work. If that meant putting your head in a sink filled with ice to help you get started, so be it. If that meant sleeping in the driveway until she lets you back in, so be it.
“The Last Movie Stars” is a beautiful story that Hawke tells beautifully. At its core “The Last Movie Stars” is about a love that was enduring and strong. A love best summarized in the vows Newman and Woodward wrote themselves:
Happiness in marraige is not somethign that just happens
A good marriage must be created
It is standing together, facing the world
It is not looking for perfection in each other
It is cultivating flexibility, patience, and understanding
Doing things for each other not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice
but in the spirit of joy
It is having the capacity to forgive and forget
It is finding room for the things of the spirit
It is a common search for the good and the beautiful
It is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner
Paul Newman & Joanne Wordward Vow Renewal
