The documentary Paul Newman: Behind Blue Eyes, part of the 2022 Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival, confirmed something I’ve suspected for years. But I’ll get back to that.

Known not only for his eyes but also his all-around good looks, Newman’s movie credits are impressive: The Hustler, Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, Slap Shot, Absence of Malice, The Verdict and Road to Perdition, to name a few.

He was a nine-time Academy Award nominee, winning the Oscar for Best Actor in 1987 for The Color of Money, as well as an honorary award in 1986 and the Academy’s Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1994. Nominated for three Emmys, he won Outstanding Supporting Actor in 2005 for Empire Falls.

Paul Newman: Behind Blue Eyes, is a biography, not an investigation. It attempts to show how Newman the man shaped the individual he became while most of Hollywood valued conformity.

There is information about his training and his early career, which imbued him with ideas that would last a lifetime. As it gets into his rise to stardom, it offers insight from some of his collaborators, such as actors James Naughton (The Glass Menagerie, Our Town), Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (The Color of Money) and Lolita Davidovich (Blaze).

The documentary posits that Newman was “annoyed by the incessant references to his apparent sex appeal [and] did everything he could to change the perception.” That included challenging stereotypes and exercising freedom of thought.

While not quite a hagiography, the film is definitely an appreciation. In contrast to how it portrays Newman, it takes itself pretty seriously. It highlights the actor’s social activism and commitment to equality – forming a production company with Barbra Streisand and Sidney Poitier; marching with Martin Luther King Jr.; tackling issues such as homosexuality and addiction earlier than Hollywood at large – but never gets into much detail. There is cursory coverage of Newman turning his attention to auto racing later in life, and nothing about salad dressing or popcorn.

The documentary also spins some of his less-happy moments in ways that stretch credulity: It frames the end of his first marriage as his first wife stepping aside so he could be with Joanne Woodward. And it mentions his son Scott’s fatal drug overdose only as the inspiration for his role in Harry & Son.

The film, directed by Pierre-François Gaudry, clocks in at a tight 52 minutes. It held my attention throughout.

What struck me most, though, wasn’t even part of the film. It was that, from a 21st century perspective, I couldn’t help but notice the similarity between Newman and fellow Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey. It’s as though the former’s life was a blueprint for the latter. I’ve noticed intergenerational similarities before – Melanie Griffith and Reese Witherspoon, anyone? But those were based more on appearance. On a deeper level, the looks, career choices, family lives and philosophies of Newman and McConaughey are eerily similar.

But, hey, maybe that’s just me.

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Stuart J. Robinson practices writing, editing, media relations and social media through his business, Phoenix-based Lightbulb Communications.

Tags: Hollywood, Joanne Woodward, Paul Newman, Pierre-François Gaudry