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Film credit
Paul Newman
Also referred to as Newman
Stats
- Episodes featuring their films
- 5
- Movies in this archive
- 5
Rewatchables episodes featuring Paul Newman’s films
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
1969 film
Bill Simmons · Aaron Sorkin · Sean Fennessey
Aired September 2, 2019
Displaying all 5 episodes
Mentioned in discussions
Producer review
A first-time watch that impressed
In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 02:02:47Read transcript
- Never seen it before: nine years old and a boy at release, watching Superbad by 16. — Bill Simmons
- It is one of Liz's favorite movies and she was extremely excited to watch it. — Bill Simmons
- Garner is seen more around Brentwood than in movies; the recalled credits are Juno, Draft Day and Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. — Juliet Litman
- Agreeing with an earlier point, most people in their 20s think of Garner as the Capital One lady who was married to Ben Affleck, like Paul Newman and salad dressing. — Bill Simmons
- Garner's physical acting is amazing and subtle, down to the giant pina colada gulps; the movie is better seen in your 30s than at 13. — Bill Simmons
- A daughter identified with the teen parts while a wife loved it in her 30s; adult themes include Matt insisting on marrying his fiancee and Jenna apologizing to her mom for missing Christmas, flipping the usual rom-com ending. — Bill Simmons
- Someone recently watched Clueless for the first time; this holds up better as an adult watch, while Clueless is a 1995 time capsule and LA has changed. — Bill Simmons
Casting What-Ifs
Redford’s Van Doren search, Paul Newman declining Mark Van Doren, and an uncertain Soderbergh/Tim Robbins path
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:02:39Read transcript
- Redford sought an American for Charles Van Doren, considered William Baldwin, and landed on Ralph Fiennes. — Bill Simmons
- Paul Newman reportedly declined Mark Van Doren. — Bill Simmons
- Steven Soderbergh’s attachment was accepted as true; the Tim Robbins detail remained uncertain. — Bill Simmons
Half-Assed Internet Research
Period streets and cars; an accidental drink spill; the diner set; Redford’s broken thumb and lateness; the adapted score; Julia Phillips’s producing milestone.
In the discussion (11)
Approx. transcript time · 01:26:25Read transcript
- George Roy Hill reportedly copied the sparse extras of 1930s gangster films, creating empty-looking streets. — Bill Simmons
- Many cars were authentic period vehicles sourced by producer Tony Bill.
- Snyder pouring the rejected drink onto Billie’s hand was an accident retained in the film. — Bill Simmons
- The diner set later appeared in Back to the Future. — Bill Simmons
- Redford worked around a broken thumb from a skiing accident. — Bill Simmons
- Robert Shaw recalled people recognizing Newman more than Redford; the hosts question whether he was teasing Redford. — Bill Simmons
- The adapted-score Oscar recognized Marvin Hamlisch’s arrangement of Scott Joplin music, a category whose rules later changed. — Sean Fennessey
- The discussion contrasts a proposed 1930s Chicago blues soundtrack with Hill’s preference for older ragtime music. — Sean Fennessey
- Julia Phillips became the first woman to win Best Picture as a producer. — Chris Ryan
- Julia Phillips recalled that the producers had not negotiated their credit lettering, leaving their names looking less prominent. — Chris Ryan
- Phillips reported that Newman confronted Redford about arriving late, after which Redford reduced his lateness. — Bill Simmons
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:47:38Read transcript
- Paul Newman receives the first winner vote.
- Robert Redford receives two winner votes because he walks out of the movie “smelling like gold.”
- George Roy Hill is proposed as an alternative for directing both this film and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. — Bill Simmons
Podcast choices
- Speaker not identified
- Paul Newman
- Speaker not identified
- Robert Redford
- Speaker not identified
- Robert Redford
In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 01:30:25Read transcript
- Paul Newman is rejected for Apex Mountain, which is placed earlier in his career. — Bill Simmons
- Redford is selected for reaching first-call status through The Way We Were and The Sting.
- George Roy Hill is selected after winning Best Director and following Butch Cassidy with The Sting.
- Scott Joplin’s ragtime revival is proposed.
- Schlitz is proposed for its 1930s dominance and possible 1970s revival. — Bill Simmons
- The Sting is debated as Apex Mountain for con movies because of its success and influence.
Most Rewatchable Scene
The train poker game is selected twice; the first Gondorff-Hooker meeting is another explicit favorite. The opening con, roulette loss, counterfeit handoff, train setup, fake race, revenge exchange, Salino reveal, and final con are additional nominees.
In the discussion (12)
Approx. transcript time · 00:47:11Read transcript
- The opening switch with Luther is nominated as a strong opening con.
- The train stretch combining Lonnegan’s pickpocketing, card tricks, gin trick, and poker game is nominated as one long sequence. — Bill Simmons
- Hooker immediately losing his winnings at roulette is included despite an objection that the bet is implausible. — Bill Simmons
- Hooker paying Snyder with counterfeit money is nominated.
- The poker game is selected for Newman’s comic drunk performance and the four-jack cheat.
- Hooker apparently offering to double-cross Gondorff is nominated for making the audience question the con. — Bill Simmons
- The fake Blue Note race is nominated. — Bill Simmons
- Gondorff and Hooker’s exchange about revenge being for suckers is nominated. — Bill Simmons
- Salino’s reveal as the assassin and death are nominated. — Bill Simmons
- The final con, fake shootings, and Hooker declining his share are nominated. — Bill Simmons
- The poker game is explicitly selected by two participants. — Chris Ryan
- Gondorff and Hooker’s first meeting, with hungover Gondorff and their verbal sparring, is selected as another favorite. — Chris Ryan
Casting What-Ifs
Kurt Russell, Robin Wright, Tom Sizemore, Dale Earnhardt, Paul Newman
In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:32:26Read transcript
- Kurt Russell is discussed as the initial Rowdy Burns choice before Backdraft. — Bill Simmons
- Robin Wright as Claire Lewicki, Tom Sizemore as Tim Daland, Dale Earnhardt as Rowdy, and Paul Newman as Harry are proposed or reported alternatives. — Bill Simmons
- Dale Earnhardt's refusal to play a perceived villain is questioned because Rowdy is not ultimately the villain. — Bill Simmons
- Don Simpson's self-casting as Aldo Bennedetti and the cutting of most of his performance are discussed. — Bill Simmons
In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:41:53Read transcript
- Richard Linklater is the first proposed winner, while Ethan Hawke is the initial alternative. — Bill Simmons
- The case for Linklater is that Hawke already had Reality Bites while this film creates the trilogy central to Linklater's identity.
- The Hawke-Linklater collaboration is compared with De Niro-Scorsese and Paul Newman-George Roy Hill partnerships. — Sean Fennessey
- The trilogy's crowd-pleasing, formally inventive scope supports the final Linklater choice. — Sean Fennessey
Podcast choices
Casting What-Ifs
Gene Hackman; Paul Newman; Tom Selleck; John Travolta
In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 00:12:52Read transcript
- The script was allegedly imagined for older New York cops with Hackman and Newman in mind, though it was never brought to them. — Bill Simmons
- Tom Selleck and John Travolta were reportedly considered; Selleck had Magnum and Travolta’s agent advised against it. — Bill Simmons
- Peter Hyams reportedly liked Darlane Flugel in To Live and Die in L.A. — Chris Ryan
- Hyams’s earlier Busting and later 2010, Capricorn One, and Sudden Death establish his action craftsmanship. — Chris Ryan
- Gregory Hines is described as having replaced Richard Pryor in History of the World Part I and as having dropped out of 48 hours for The Cotton Club. — Bill Simmons
In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:21:04Read transcript
- Michelle Pfeiffer reportedly declined Susan; Young is preferred as more plausible in this particular social setting. — Bill Simmons
- Reports that Mel Gibson and Patrick Swayze declined Tom are explicitly treated as uncertain.
- Paul Newman and Gregory Peck are discussed as implausible Brice alternatives because of interest or age.
- Reported Scott alternatives include Gary Oldman, Stephen Lang, Alec Baldwin, Michael Biehn and James Spader; Oldman excites interest, Spader seems young, and Patton remains preferred. — Bill Simmons
Producer review
The producer praises the football and final forty minutes, finds the first hour dated, admires the older stars’ natural presence, wants a stronger final speech, and argues Crewe should have thrown the game
In the discussion (9)
Approx. transcript time · 01:41:01Read transcript
- The producer had only seen and enjoyed the Adam Sandler remake before this viewing. — Craig Horlbeck
- He finds the final forty minutes highly rewatchable but the opening hour visibly fifty years old. — Craig Horlbeck
- The real football players and wide staging make the game convincing. — Craig Horlbeck
- Reynolds, Harrison Ford, Paul Newman, and Brando are contrasted with more manicured modern stars. — Craig Horlbeck
- Reynolds’s quiet, still star power is described as nearly extinct. — Craig Horlbeck
- The football includes credible reverses, sneaks, and a back-shoulder pass. — Craig Horlbeck
- The addendum wanted more than roughly fifteen words from Crewe’s final speech. — Craig Horlbeck
- The producer argues Crewe should have thrown the game and left prison after eighteen months. — Craig Horlbeck
- Norm Macdonald’s Saturday Night Live impression shaped his first understanding of Burt Reynolds. — Craig Horlbeck
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:42:49Read transcript
- Paul Newman is the agreed winner.
- Hockey receives a secondary case for the movie's enduring place in the sport's culture; the counterargument is that hockey might be unchanged without it.
Podcast choices
Displaying discussions 1 - 12 of 46 in total
Films in the archive
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
1969
Slap Shot
1977
The Color of Money
1986
The Sting
1973
The Verdict
1982