The new doc series follows the ever-changing hierarchies of the Ngogo chimp community. 2,972, This story has been shared 2,617 times. The latters Parkinsons disease is also beginning to get the best of the octogenarian. It's Me, Margaret. Sundays conversation, presented by FIJI Water, was part of LA3C, an inaugural two-day culture and creativity festival put on by The Hollywood Reporters owner Penske Media. The website's consensus reads: "Sr. is an illuminating look at a fascinating filmmaker -- and a poignant tribute to a father from his son. Downey Sr. was best known for his breakthrough anti-establishment films such as Putney Swope and Greaser's Place. Mainly cocaine and marijuana. Alan Arkin: You didn't even know if there was a story. The film explores Downey Sr.s life and work, including his influential 1969 satirical comedy,Putney Swope. 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. ", He recalled becoming addicted around the time he made the 1987 film Less Than Zero. See what happens. 1,935, This story has been shared 1,875 times. His first marriage was to actress Elsie Ann Ford (19342014) in 1962, with whom he had two children: actress-writer Allyson (born 1963) and actor Robert Jr. (born 1965). They won't be able to see your review if you only submit your rating. Eventually, a chronological narrative starts to form, as we see early successes lead to other opportunities, a West Coast relocation, drugs, more drugs, a second marriage, and rehabilitation. Everyone thinks that Im so eccentric that Im completely walking around in a bubble of unawareness, he quipped. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? Sr. visits a duck pond in the middle of New York, and marvels at how there are so many little cavorting ducklings in such a dense, urban area. The result, Netflix's Sr., became something neither of them could have ever. In another time, Sr would have been the Paul Thomas Anderson of his age, making undefinable, irreverent, sometimes incomprehensible movies, but with wider acceptance and better production values. By David Fear. Is The Nurse On Netflix Based On A True Story? His work in the late 1960s and 1970s was quintessential anti-establishment, reflecting the nonconformity popularized by larger counterculture movements and given impetus by new freedoms in films, such as the breakdown of codes on censorship. Snippets of Sr.s acting stints in a few of his early works as well as a role in Paul Thomas Andersons Boogie Nights are also woven in, as are interviews with friends including Anderson (who provides personal archival footage), Alan Arkin, Norman Lear and Lawrence Wolf, the last a frequent performer in Downey Sr.s 60s and 70s films. Additional archival clips of Elsie Downey (a game mainstay in many of Downey Sr.s films; she died in 2014) and Sr.s second wife, actress-writer Laura Ernst, who died in 1994 at age 36 of ALS, are featured as well. They chat about life and their many shared experiences, including Downey Jr.s formative gigs as a kid actor in Pound and Greasers and their later collaborations on Downey Sr.s obscure comedies Too Much Sun (1990) and Hugo Pool (1997). What is the Japanese language plot outline for Sr. (2022)? When Chris Smith a documentarian who had tackled everything from Method acting run amuck to a music festival falling apart was asked what subjects he might be interested in pursuing in terms of a new project, he didnt mention a what. Instead, he gave his producers a who: Robert Downey Jr. RT25: Celebrating 25 years of Rotten Tomatoes. Downey Jr. wasnt alone in feeling overwhelmed with emotion. Read critic reviews. Team Downey. [22], Robert Downey Jr. Inside The Actors Studio Pt. List of Movies and TV Shows", "Film director Robert Downey Sr dies at 85", "Robert Downey Sr. And that would be his love for his father, Robert Downey Sr., the renowned filmmaker famous for turning New Yorks underground film scene of the 1960s and 70s on its head. And for those of us who already worship of the altar of the elder Downey, this Netflix doc it drops on the streaming service this weekend is a chance to see a true indie-movie O.G. Susan Downey, Cinemark He did have a list of questions on the brain that he wanted to get answered by his father before he passed. As perhaps is true of most father-son relationships, some sensitive matters between the Downeys appear unresolved. 1,100, This story has been shared 1,047 times. 55,770, This story has been shared 8,222 times. The American Movie filmmaker thought that the former man in the iron suit would make a fascinating subject for a doc. 1 for 4 weeks, Aging beloved YA author Judy Blumes inevitable foil isnt so bad after all, Review: The entertaining Peter Pan & Wendy charts a familiar course to Neverland, Rihanna has Smurfs on the brain for her next movie: Hope this gives me cool points. Seeing cameras were a joyous thing, Jr. says early on, because that meant that hed get to spend time with his dad. "[2] He was the father of American actor Robert Downey Jr. Robert Downey Sr. was born Robert John Elias Jr. in the Manhattan borough of New York City, on June 24, 1936. Fundraiser, Zendaya Recalls First Date at 15 to See Spider-Man in 3D, Netflix Lands Adam McKay Movie Starring Robert Pattinson, Amy Adams, U.S. Digital Giants to Finance Local Content After Canada's Online Streaming Bill Becomes Law, Wes Anderson Directing Star Wars? ", Downey Jr. reflected on his dad's addiction as a disease in a recent Deadline interview, saying it's an "uncomfortable" conversation in general since "nobody wants to admit complete defeat over trying to deal with something like alcoholism or addiction. "The story keeps getting repeated. Theres a lot of uncertainty and you have to make peace with that., Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. Ahead of its Netflix release,Sr.will next screen at the New York Film Festival on Oct. 10 and 11. I didnt even know if this thing was going to come out so I wasnt thinking about it the way you would where youre like, well youd better make sure that stupid fucking beanie youre wearing looks right on your [head]. [10][19][20], The Criterion Collection released five of his films (the National Film Registry inductee Putney Swope, Babo 73, Chafed Elbows, No More Excuses and Taos Tonight) as part of the Eclipse Series. Jr. remembers his father as being driven by his filmmaking vision always people around him, always working, always writing, always turning the house into an editing bay. That was no easy feat. Read more of his work at johnserbaatlarge.com. Marvel Movies Ranked Worst to Best by Tomatometer, Jurassic Park Movies Ranked By Tomatometer, RT25: Celebrating 25 Years of Rotten Tomatoes, Fatal Attraction Series Stars Joshua Jackson and Lizzy Caplan on the Sexy, Unsettling Psychological Thriller, Prime Video Acquires J.J. Abrams and Matt Reeves Batman: Caped Crusader and 2 More Animated Projects, Sr. is an illuminating look at a fascinating filmmaker -- and a poignant tribute to a father from his son. (Let me tell you, theres something special about watching a documentary in which Alan Arkin uses the phrase half in the bag.) Sr. shot a movie called Pound, in which 18 human actors played dogs locked in the same cell; Jr. was five years old when his father hired him to appear in the film, delivering the line, You got any hair on your balls? to a bald man playing a Mexican hairless pooch, and the rather bizarre sentence youre reading now is quite nuanced and revelatory in characterizing these two men and their relationship. Our Take: Sr. is shot in gorgeous, crystalline black-and-white, perhaps to reflect the aesthetic of Sr.s early work, perhaps to give it a nostalgic aesthetic, perhaps to render the relationship between father and son within a warm, soft, gray area where simple emotions love, respect, fondness can comfortably exist alongside the more complicated ones. Eventually, Jr. and his son go back east to see Sr., at which part a serious leap of faith completely turns into an incredible example of trust. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. Which isnt to say the film is nothing but raw nerves. They have to be ready. Robert Downey Jr. pays tribute to his late father in this documentary chronicling the life and eclectic career of pioneering filmmaker Robert Downey Sr. Even standing back there watching it 40 minutes ago, I was like, Jesus. Im still processing it but its a luxury to have something like that documented as a touchstone to keep going back and thinking about it., Hes even grateful for those unanswered questions. The marriage ended in divorce in 1975. Coming Soon, Regal When Chris Smith a documentarian who had tackled everything from Method acting run . Robert Downey Jr. pays tribute to his late father in this documentary chronicling the life and eclectic career of pioneering filmmaker Robert Downey Sr. Team Downey, Sound Mix: He also appeared in movies such as Boogie Nights, Magnolia and To Live and Die. Stream It or Skip It: 'Spring Breakthrough' on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Proves We Need More Keesha Sharp, Stream It or Skip It: 'Hearts in the Game' on Hallmark Just Might Be the Network's Movie of the Year. There's beauty in watching Sr. watch dailies, his spirit clearly buoyed by artistic possibility. We had a meeting at his company and just sort of threw out the idea of doing a documentary on [Robert Downey Jr.], Smith recalled during an appearance at Deadlines Contenders Television: Documentary + Unscripted event. Robert Downey Jr. pays tribute to his late father in this documentary chronicling the life and eclectic career of pioneering filmmaker Robert Downey Sr. It was an idiot move on our parts, a lot of us, to share that with out children. Robert Downey Jr. on Making of 'Sr.,' Addiction and Finding Peace With Final Moments of His Father's Life: "This is Not a Disney+ Thing" The superstar actor joined producer-wife Susan. Larger than life, but open and human as ever, it was such a pleasure and life-affirming experience to capture some glimpses of the highs, lows and everything in between.. After wiping away tears, Downey Jr. sat opposite producer-wife Susan Downey for a conversation about their Netflix documentary about his filmmaker father, Robert Downey Sr., that was moderated by The Hollywood Reporters executive editor of awards Scott Feinberg. Stream It or Skip It: 'A Pinch of Portugal' on Hallmark, Where Heather Hemmens Accidentally Goes from Prep Chef to Celeb Chef, Stream It Or Skip It: Kiss, Kiss! on Netflix, a Polish Rom-Com With an Oogy Womanizer Protagonist. He initially thought of doing a film about Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr., but the star proposed something different. See production, box office & company info, Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths. Sr. made eight films between 1965 and 1975, most famously the satirical black comedy Putney Swope, which was entered in the National Film Registry. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free weekly newsletter to get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday. Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Link to Are You There God? The documentary is part Sr.s project, a biographical retrospective of sorts that finds him visiting New York City locations where he shot some of his infamously wild underground films, and eyeballing the building where the Downey family lived in the 70s. You should film that guy. He was known for writing and directing his underground film Putney Swope, a satire on the New York Madison Avenue advertising world. Robert Downey Sr. was an American filmmaker who gained prominence thanks to his work on Putney Swope, an underground satire following the cutthroat advertising world of New York's Madison. He went on to have a kind of herky-jerky helming career until exiting the film scene in 2005 with the Philadelphia-set documentary, Rittenhouse Square., But its Downey Sr. the unconventional family man, as much as the subversive filmmaker, who gets his close-up here, as father and son share time on camera (in person and via COVID-necessitated Zoom and phone calls) from 2019 until Sr.s death in mid-2021 of complications from Parkinsons disease. Robert Downey Sr. and Robert Downey Jr. in 2014. [14], Downey's films were often family affairs. But by the time he actually gets there to have this conversation, its almost too late, Smith said. In the end scene, he [says to his dad], Is there anything that you would want your kid to know? He doesnt get the answer that I think maybe he was looking for, but at the same time, it feels almost more poetic in a way. JOIN NOW Robert Downey Jr., Alan Arkin, Paul Thomas Anderson, Norman Lear and Sean Hayes appear in this poignant documentary. He proved to be a unique doc subject in that rather than open up his life and sit for extended interviews, he pretty quickly hijacked the production and opted to direct his own movie within a movie. All Rights Reserved. If anybody has ever dealt with someone with addiction, you know it has nothing to do with someone else, she replied. The documentary is part Sr.'s project, a biographical retrospective of sorts that finds him visiting New York City locations where he shot some of his infamously wild underground films, and. [13] His last film was Rittenhouse Square (2005), a documentary capturing life in a Philadelphia park. Daughter Allyson and son Robert Downey Jr. each made their film debuts in the 1970 absurdist comedy Pound at the ages of 7 and 5, respectively; Allyson would appear in one more film by her father, Up the Academy. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing this? Sr.s exploration of a famous and frequently infamous father-son relationship is as moving as it is fascinating. ", In an archive interview featured in the doc, Downey Sr. says while Downey Jr. is next to him: "A lot of us did things and thought it would be hypocritical to not have our kids participate in marijuana and stuff like that. I wont give the example but theres just so much of it that you kind of go, that just reeks of bullshit., Feinberg then asked Susan Downey about the coincidence that both Downey men turned their lives around while in relationships with women who had great impact on their lives. [11], The film won the National Board of Review Award for Best Documentary Feature. But it makes sense to include it; theres an openness and vulnerability to Sr. that the Downey men perhaps found, if not healing that may not be the right word, considering the emotional complexity of their situation then at least necessary. He moved into big-budget filmmaking with the surrealistic Greaser's Palace (1972). Downey Jr. has long earned the right to stop addressing his lost-weekend years, which has now become a career footnote, yet he opens up about it for Smiths cameras. It's a kind of home movie,. By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and A.I. Things are unfinished. The Hollywood Reporter is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Just below that it reads "Ticket Confirmation#:" followed by a 10-digit number. A Tourists Guide to Love Filming Locations: Where Was the Rachael Leigh Cook Movie Filmed? This story has been shared 55,770 times. We catch up with Jr. and Sr. at Jr.s home in the Hamptons as they discuss naming this very film Sr.; Sr. doesnt like it, but obviously, it stuck. His first wife appears in four of his films (Chafed Elbows, Pound, Greaser's Palace, Moment to Moment), as well as co-writing one (Moment to Moment). "Sr." is set to screen at the New York Film Festival on October 10, 2022 with an encore screening on October 11, 2022. We were all altering our consciousness with substances. John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. limited, Release Date (Streaming): Bring your cameras. And while the younger Downey plays a big part in the film, the primary focus is on Robert Downey Sr., the underground filmmaker and actor who made satirical and offbeat films like Putney Swope and Chafed Elbows. And when the movie cuts to a shot of the younger Downey having one last chance to hang out with him, a camera literally between them and buffering their exchanges yet capturing the moment permanently for posterity, its impossible not to feel a sense of happiness for these two men even as you view a goodbye through your own tears. Poguelandia is not quite the paradise the Pogues hoped. Smith took him up on the idea. Coming Soon. "You know, I think we would be remiss to not discuss its effect on me," he told his father, who said, "Boy, I could sure love to miss that discussion. You know, Ive got a phone.. Name another billion-dollar movie star who would let someone film a virtual therapy session (!) Filmed over three years, Sr. is an intimate exploration of the maverick directors colorful life and rebellious career as well as his relationship with his son before he passed away from Parkinsons disease on July 7, 2021. Theres a winking irreverence to these men and their work (theres a point when Jr. says of his father, I still feel like, on some level, hes fing with us) that underscores everything they do, which is where we further understand Arkins comment about benign nihilism. And theres the high-minded stuff sneaking in again, although it never undermines the tenderness of a quiet moment in which Jr. and his son Exton lean into an ailing, bedridden Sr. for a three-way hug. Then the second thing, which you all see in the movie, is that pretty quickly, it didnt matter what we wanted, this was his way to do that. The story of American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in the development of the atomic bomb. Theres a greater idea at play here that clearly supersedes any concerns that the film is a vanity project or navel-gazing exercise, and its spoken clearly during a Zoom session between Jr. and his therapist, the latter pointing out that he and his father have always found their personal lives inevitably tangled with their filmmaking, so it makes sense that theyd explore their relationship via their art. Its incomplete if you dont, said the Iron Man star. 1, National Board of Review Award for Best Documentary Feature, You've Got to Walk It Like You Talk It or You'll Lose That Beat, "Robert Downey Jr.'s Mother Dies: Read His Moving, Candid Tribute to Elsie Ann Downey", "Celebrity Jews: Maggie Gyllenhaal, Barbara Walters, Larry David, Ben Stiller & more", J. "And suddenly I knew I had made a terrible, stupid mistake. [6], "Sr." was released in selected theatres on November 18, 2022, before streaming on Netflix beginning December 2. : The recent slate of surprisingly intimate celeb-bio documentaries includes Val Kilmers Val, Charlotte Gainsbourgs Jane by Charlotte and Jonah Hill-and-his-therapist film Stutz. 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'Citadel' Episode Guide: When Do New Episodes Premiere on Prime Video? Dies: 'Putney Swope' Director, Father Of Actor Robert Downey Jr. Was 85", "Robert Downey Sr., Actor and Counterculture Director, Dies at 85", Eclipse Series 33: Up All Night with Robert Downey Sr. on The Criterion Collection, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_Downey_Sr.&oldid=1150210554, Senior Secret Service Agent Thomas Bateman, This page was last edited on 16 April 2023, at 22:13. To do it by making a movie or his version of it, it just kind ends up making sense.. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. The Two Bobs: Robert Downey Sr. and Robert Downey Jr. in 'Sr.' Netflix. Nov 18, 2022 In the final moments of the Chris Smith-directed film, much sniffling could be heard inside the theater where celebrity guests like Tom Holland, Zendaya, Adrien Brody and Oscar winner Travon Free also took in the screening. I passed him a joint," he recalled at the time. Even a casual viewer can tell that Jr. keeps wanting to ask his dad questions that Sr. might not want to answer, and that they both know that time is running out. By now you'd think Robert was Jimmy Cliff's dealer at age 8. 'Sr.' Director Chris Smith On The Things Left Unsaid Between Robert Downey Sr. And His Famous Son https://bit.ly/3LeHj8x #DeadlineContenders TV Documentary + Unscripted 29 Apr 2023 17:51:15 Rittenhouse Square (2005) Robert Downey Sr. Cinemark Streaming Schedule, Season 5, Part 2 Debut Info, 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved, Robert Downey Jr. He initially thought of doing a film about Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr., but the star proposed something different. [21], A 2022 documentary film simply called "Sr." was made by Chris Smith of American Movie fame and was produced by his son. Jr. seems poised to explore the subject, but by that point in 2020, Covid impedes father and son from meeting face to face. Robert Downey Sr., who died on July 7, 2021, at the age of 85, was an underground American filmmaker, who in the 1960s made a lot of low budget movies across New York City, which would go on to inspire various modern filmmakers. The couple also shared with Feinberg how and why they approached the subject of addiction in the doc as both Downey Jr. and his father struggled with substance abuse in their lives.
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