According to film scholar Wheeler Winston Dixon, Downey's films during the 1960s were "strictly take-no-prisoners affairs, with minimal budgets and outrageous satire, effectively pushing forward the countercultural agenda of the day. Sr. sits in an adjustable bed, his room converted into a makeshift editing bay, and watches the completed film but if it was completed, how could it include this very scene? 4,590, This story has been shared 4,235 times. 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. [Full disclosure: I saw that 69 acid-tipped comedy about race relations, revolution and the counter-culture getting a consumerist makeover, as a kid a few weeks after our first neighborhood video store opened. Robert Downey Jr. pays tribute to his late father in this documentary chronicling the life and eclectic career of pioneering filmmaker Robert Downey Sr. JOIN NOW Robert Downey Jr., Alan Arkin, Paul Thomas Anderson, Norman Lear and Sean Hayes appear in this poignant documentary. This is a real life. 8,222, This story has been shared 5,614 times. It was an idiot move on our parts, a lot of us, to share that with out children. [21], A 2022 documentary film simply called "Sr." was made by Chris Smith of American Movie fame and was produced by his son. We want to hear from you! 2023 Deadline Hollywood, LLC. 5,614, This story has been shared 4,590 times. Smith described the sage advice as the guiding light for the project, which has been acquired by Netflix following its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival. Library Films, What Movies Will It Remind You Of? Mainly cocaine and marijuana. Even his wife was surprised. He has a dizzy spell and needs to sit down. 'Firefly Lane' Ending Explained: Does Kate Malarkey Die? Its nervy in its restless meta-qualities, with scenes frequently addressing the very conception and construction of this film. 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. It's a question that's answered in affecting, if not always thoroughly probing ways in the otherwise compelling documentary "Sr.," a lively look at cult filmmaker Robert Downey Sr. and. could inspire a small experimental theaters ticket line to worm its way around the block. 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We here about the effect that a bohemian lifestyle has on kids and what happens when one artists demons mirror anothers. Literally, in the case of the poster for his breakthrough movie, the 1969 up-against-the-wall-Madison-Ave. satire Putney Swope. 2023 Rolling Stone, LLC. Dec 2, 2022, Runtime: 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. 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. Follow the tender but appropriately irreverent account of the life and career of Robert Downey Sr., the fearless and visionary American director who set the standard for countercultural comedy in the 1960s and 1970s. Sr.s exploration of a famous and frequently infamous father-son relationship is as moving as it is fascinating. potentially get the credit he deserves. 1,047, This story has been shared 929 times. Its incomplete if you dont, said the Iron Man star. Sr. calls himself an idiot for encouraging his son to try pot when Jr. was just a kid (both men suffered serious drug problems at stages in their lives). He also appeared in movies such as Boogie Nights, Magnolia and To Live and Die. He was 85. He moved into big-budget filmmaking with the surrealistic Greaser's Palace (1972). Which isnt to say the film is nothing but raw nerves. [11][9] Downey later said he wrote an unpublished novel during his time in the army, though he spent much of his military career "in the stockade". 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]. Three years ago, Robert Downey Jr. started filming a documentary about his father alongside director Chris Smith. All Rights Reserved. His second marriage, to actress-writer Laura Ernst, lasted until her death on January 27, 1994, from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing this? Read critic reviews. By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and [18] Downey died of complications from Parkinson's disease in his sleep at his home in Manhattan, on July 7, 2021, thirteen days after his 85th birthday. Did you look that up or was that a headline? she asked. Netflix has acquired the worldwide rights to "Sr.," a documentary film about the life of the late filmmaker Robert Downey Sr. as directed by Chris . Send us a tip using our annonymous form. Starring:Robert Downey Sr., Robert Downey Jr. Watch all you want. The film explores Downey Sr.'s life and work, including his influential 1969 satirical comedy, Putney Swope. Following its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival, five-time Emmy nominee Chris Smith's documentary "**** Sr.", an affectionate tribute to maverick filmmaker Robert Downey Sr., will head to Netflix. Downey Jr. explained that response. Such is the heartbreak of impending loss. 'Sr.' Trailer: Robert Downey Sr. If you are clean, great. But theres no credit I will ever take other than basically saying, Heres what I need to have happen, or more importantly, What cant be happening. But its entirely that person., In reference to a similar discussion they had with one another, Downey Jr. called it the clearest conversation Ive ever had in my life.. Heres Downey Sr. telling his son about a plane crash he experienced while in the army, which led to him getting thrown in the stockade, which led to a sympathetic jailer giving him pen and paper so he could pass the time by writingwhich eventually led to a life compulsively behind the lens. [9], Gary Goldstein of The Los Angeles Times wrote: "Sr. proves a tender portrait and fitting tribute to an offbeat hero and creative pioneer. Is one powerful family to blame for the deaths of five people in the wilds of South Carolinas Lowcountry? Theres a lot of uncertainty and you have to make peace with that., Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. [13] His last film was Rittenhouse Square (2005), a documentary capturing life in a Philadelphia park. Come up to our place in the Hamptons, the younger Robert said. Things are inconclusive. Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. When he approached the star, however, Downey demurred. English, Director: , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes. Coming Soon. This documentary is one final project for Sr., a collaboration with Jr. thats directed by American Movies Chris Smith, and inextricably and inscrutably autobiographical for both Downey men. The trailer of the film was released by Netflix on 14 November 2022. Is 'Are You There God? I knew of Robert Downey Sr. but I didnt really know him or his work that well, Smith said. Cinemark At one point in the film, Downey Jr. addresses his past addiction and the influence his father had on that by bringing it up during a phone call with him. Downey Sr.s relationship with his son, Robert Downey Jr., is a prominent part of the story. 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. Sr. proves a tender portrait and fitting tribute to an offbeat hero and creative pioneer. But thats the high-minded stuff. What is the Japanese language plot outline for Sr. (2022)? Get the freshest reviews, news, and more delivered right to your inbox! The Downeys: Robert Sr, left, and Jr, right, in the new Netflix documentary (Netflix) The documentary follows Downey Sr right up to the very end of his life, to the point where he is. Robert Downey Jr. is reflecting on past drug addiction from a young age. Netflix, Production Co: 4,235, This story has been shared 2,972 times. Robert Downey Jr.'s documentary "Sr.," a tribute to his dying father, filmmaker Robert Downey Sr., is the stuff dreams are made on, a freestyle, loopy narrative, much like that of his father's films, that doesn't so much as unfold as unravel. The new doc depicts how one journalist uncovered a troubling trend of police turning survivors into suspects. If anybody has ever dealt with someone with addiction, you know it has nothing to do with someone else, she replied. There are highlights from "Pound" in 1970 (Downey Jr.'s acting debut) to "Hugo Pool" in 1997 (with Jr again, who has now become a rising, mainstream actor). Coming Soon. Its just what Sr. and Jr. do, and to not include such self-analysis because self-analysis is very much what it is would be to disregard a large portion of their lives. Hes already directing Smith on where to shoot, how to frame things, etc. The good-natured Exton plays a key part toward the end of the doc when he and his dad visit New York to spend some final time with the dying Downey Sr. It's a kind of home movie,. We want to hear it. Dolby Digital, Best Upcoming Documentaries from the Fall Festivals. Jr. later claims that this isnt a father and son story, and that its more about life, death and what happens in between: Were here, we do stuff and then were gone. But his claim about the former is only half right; its not just about one father-and-son story. ), How Palm Springs ran out Black and Latino families to build a fantasy for rich, white people, Plaschke: Lakers live up to their legacy with a close-out win for the ages, At Willie Nelson 90, country, rock and rap stars pay tribute, but Willie and Trigger steal the show, Review: In Guardians 3, ultra-weird superhero fun doesnt have to be Rocket science, The new Tom Cruise just might be a London office worker with a taste for risk, Jonathan Majors accuser gets full temporary protection order ahead of court date, Review: A deep-cut masterwork, De Humani Corporis Fabrica is already one of 2023s best movies, Review: Girl power and freaky evil collide to make Polite Society a rowdy good time. Robert Downey Jr. has done this in a documentary that he co-produced called Sr., which is one of the most anticipated Robert Downey Jr. upcoming projects because it is more personal and. Susan Downey, It pays to know the backstory of Sr. going in, which helps explain the sort of beautifully loose, free-flowing way it intercuts a very traditional nonfiction template with the subjects own tangential bits of footage. It won the National Board of Review Award for Best Documentary Feature. He's a man who says, "Yes" to every idea, even if it doesn't prove fruitful. It's Me, Margaret' Streaming on HBO Max or Netflix? Robert Downey, Sr. is Robert Downey, Jr.'s father. Downey 1.0 has spent his entire artistic life breaking rules or simply ignoring them outright; the dial on his gruff, Gotham-born-and-bred attitude is still permanently set somewhere between IDGAF and GFY. (Clearly still a director in his bones, the elder Downey also worked on a kind of shadow version of a bio-doc, bits of which are seen here. ", Downey Jr., who is now sober, said it took him another 20 years to "get my own s--- together.". A Tourists Guide to Love Filming Locations: Where Was the Rachael Leigh Cook Movie Filmed? He told the camera, "I was a drug addict. It was very refreshing to be with someone that the joy of it all was still so it was so encouraging to see it, Smith observed, like, at his age there was such a purity in terms of his excitement around anything related to getting a good shot.. 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. The Two Bobs: Robert Downey Sr. and Robert Downey Jr. in 'Sr.' Netflix. Historical Fact [10], Downey initially made his mark creating very low-budget independent films aligning with the Absurdist movement, in line with counterculture, anti-establishment, 1960s America. limited, Release Date (Streaming): 1,634, This story has been shared 1,370 times. Sr., a documentary feature about the maverick independent filmmaker Robert Downey Sr. that was directed by Chris Smith ( Fyre) and counts Robert Downey Jr. among its producers, has been acquired . "And suddenly I knew I had made a terrible, stupid mistake. 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. 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Just confirm how you got your ticket. By subscribing, I agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. ", 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.