Children of Newman and Woodward, and of Newman’s first marriage, are very much in evidence, especially in the later episodes, but the most brutal, insightful, and often hilarious commentary comes from the vintage quotes of the two subjects, especially Woodward. (As one of the few original interviewees still alive, she was found to have Alzheimer’s disease in 2007, a year before Newman died.) It was never a secret that, for much of their time together, they were a better actor than her much more famous husband, and that her career eclipsed when she took on most of the care of their children. But it’s still sobering to hear, in her own words, how clearly she saw the differences and how deeply she felt them.
Hawke and his editor, Barry Poltermann, elegantly intertwine their range of material. The readings of the old interviews are usually played on top of the film fragments, mixed with the sound so that the voices in the interviews and in the films alternate, fading in and out.
With so many films to choose from, Hawke is almost always able to correlate the clips with what is being said about Newman and Woodward’s lives, in ways that may be obvious, but often clever. As we hear Newman’s first wife, Jackie McDonald (voiced by Kazan), talk about her replacement with Woodward, we see—but don’t hear—scenes from “From the Terrace,” in which Woodward played the woman who was abandoned by the Newman’s character. (A fun casting touch: When Robert Altman is quoted in reference to “Buffalo Bill and the Indians,” he is voiced by Native American director Sterlin Harjo.)
Hawke asks, ‘What was it like being them?’, and the answer you’re probably going to take is that it was very much like being us – difficult and terrifying, happy and adventurous – with the volume all the way up. The difference that shines through has nothing to do with fame or achievement, but with passion: Newman and Woodward loved each other for over 50 years, through tragedy, infidelity, drunkenness and professional jealousy. You hear it in their words, and you see it, crystal clear, when they’re on screen together.