Ms. Smarty Pants Know It All

I gasped when I read that Paul Newman passed away yesterday. I found him when I was young and on a classic movie kick. As you may imagine, that bad boy rebel image, those arresting blue eyes, and that stubborn chin had quite an effect on that younger me. And oh yes, the older Newman was still quite a draw for the older me.

Here are my recommendations for which of his movies to Netflix (Amazon links are provided at the end.):

Top Tier

• Cool Hand Luke—The ultimate cool rebel movie. No one, not James Dean nor Marlon Brando, was ever this cool at being bad and misunderstood. I challenge you not to swagger around and quote its lines after you’re done.
• The Hustler—This is just a top-notch film. Newman does a fantastic job. No one who sees this can question his acting ability. You’ll have to see it for Jackie Gleason’s unforgettable performance as well.

Second Tier

• The Sting—One of the classic team-ups with Robert Redford. It’s fun and engaging all the way through. I must admit that the ending took me by complete surprise.
• Cat on a Hot Tin Roof—I first saw this when I was really young and didn’t get half of it. But it was my first introduction to Tennessee Williams and really serious playwrights in general. I may not have completely understood it, but I knew by the style, the dialogue, and the acting, that this was something about which I wanted to learn more.
• Cars—It’s Pixar. I think highly of Pixar. This is not a specifically Paul Newman recommendation, but he is good in it.

Also See

• Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid—I’m not a huge fan of this movie. I’m putting it on the list because it is considered a classic. Besides, it has Newman and Redford in cowboy gear.
• Hud—This is something that I have to watch myself. It’s a cult classic and supposedly features one of the best anti-heroes ever.

I’m off to put Hud in my Netflix queue. Are there other opinions out there? What else have I missed?

Tags: Movies //