Paul Newman @ 100: "Sometimes a Great Notion"
Friday, January 24, 2025 at 10:00AM By Ben Miller
Whatever your feelings of Paul Newman as an actor, movie star, matinee idol or philanthropist, his directorial achievements are never high up on the list. Who's to say why he only directed five feature films in his distinguished career? In the case of Sometimes a Great Notion, it was out of necessity.
While signing on as star and producer of the adaptation of the Ken Kesey novel, original director Richard A. Colla left due to the classic "artistic differences" clash. Whether it was Newman or someone higher up, Newman attempted to recruit longtime collaborator George Roy Hill, who declined. With no other options, Newman took on the job himself...
Set in the fictional Wakonda, Oregon, the film follows the Stamper family of loggers. Despite a local union strike, the Stampers continues working undeterred due to their contractual commitment and their credo to "never give an inch." Headed by the brash father Henry (Henry Fonda), Hank (Newman) acts as the de facto leader of the operation besides his longsuffering wife Viv (Lee Remick) and sweet-natured cousin Joe Ben (Oscar-nominated Richard Jaeckel). The reappearance of Hank's half-brother Leland (Michael Sarrazin) complicates matters further.
The film content is the real conundrum. Newman, a lifelong passionate left-wing Democrat, portraying a scab logger in the Pacific Northwest feels disingenuous. Luckily for him, he also happens to be a first-class actor who is able to surround himself with other first-class actors. Never for a moment does the film make it seem like the Stampers are members of Hollywood royalty who are too delicate to get their hands dirty. Newman is up there climbing tall trees while holding a chainsaw. He talks like a downhome blue color guy, despite still looking like he always does. That is his true superpower: becoming an everyman despite being more beautiful than any other man in existence.
That unpretentiousness translates to his direction. The logistics of filming logging operations in the Oregon wilderness sounds incredibly difficult, but Newman makes it feel documentarian. The lack of complexity gives the Stamper clan immediate validation in their capabilities as loggers. Not only that, this is not a profession the rest of the world has any sort of insight into. Newman and screenwriter John Gay give just enough insight on the ins-and-outs of timber operations to inform the audience but also doesn't overload them with constant exposition. That balance leads the viewer to view the Stampers as nothing more than stubborn, but seasoned professionals.
Newman's own performance takes a backseat for a good two-thirds of the film. While he is never absent from the plot for long, he allows Remick and Sarrazin to propel the film's action. He never centers himself or treats himself like the magnetic screen presence he always was. He is much more interested in the telling this character study of a family instead of the story of a single character. He works as a vital part of an organism rather than the sole focus.
At the same time, the Stamper name as an institution is peppered by the varying personalities and different performances. Fonda gets to be loud and big, while Remick acts as the calm voice of reason. Jaeckel acts as the hard-working, happy-to-be-here objective member, while Sarrazin is the outsider trying to make sense of it all. Instead of these differing personalities constantly clashing, they form this abrasive ballet of harmony. There was so much going on with this family before the film began, and no amount of puny squabbles will break that chemistry up.
While Newman keeps the action on an even keel, he sure knows how to direct a set piece (SPOILERS for a 54-year-old film). The third act features a tree being cut down that goes awry. Henry has his arm severed while Joe Ben is pinned under a log in chest-deep water. While Leland drives Henry to the hospital, Hank attempts to rescue Joe Ben. Jaeckel and Newman really ramp up the emotion in this scene as the tide rises, and Joe Ben slips closer and closer to drowning. The mood is tense, but Joe Ben keeps making self-effacing jokes. Hank tries to be optimistic, but also panics when Joe Ben begins to drown. Newman doesn't overplay the emotion and surrounds the dire situation with gentle quiet. I can't think of another director who would shoot the scene in this way. You never feel like there is real danger until the danger actually begins to present itself. It's a masterful building of tension but done without frills or tricks. It's the premiere scene of the film and the one that stays with you well after the film ends.
For a guy who only directed five films, I wish Newman would have done it more. Sometimes a Great Notion shows how much promise he had behind the camera while still displaying his on-screen persona. Maybe he didn't find it that interesting, or maybe he was just too busy with acting, racecar driving, philanthropy, political activism, and being married to Joanne Woodward. If that is the case, I can't say I blame him.
Paul Newman Centennial Tribute:
Reader Comments (1)
I saw it only once and found it a bit overly talky but the scene between Newman and Jaeckel was really emotional and no doubt the scene that got Richard a surprise nomination in 1971,Jaeckel was quite the hottie in his youth.