Paul Newman

Bill Haney's muckraking documentary The Price of Sugar follows the courageous Father Christopher Hartley, a social activist Spanish priest who makes the inaugural trip to his parish in the Dominican Republic. Upon arrival, he is cautioned by his superiors to avoid traversing the sugar plantations that his parishioners call home -- even as a part of regular parish visits. Hartley ignores this admonition, and is then shocked out of his mind to discover the subhuman living conditions and environment endured by the majority of plantation residents -- the environments unsanitary, subhuman and disgusting, the working demands enough to kill any man. Hartley discovers that the residents suffer from their lack of both Dominican and Haitian citizenship -- thus, the government views it as entirely unnecessary to endow these individuals with basic human rights and to treat them with restraint, respect, and dignity. Despite the virulent protests of those in "authority," Hartley bucks governmental and corporate injunctions and begins to fight for improved living conditions for the locals. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

A pedal-to-the-metal race car determined to prove his worth on the tracks discovers that life isn't always about crossing the finish line first in Toy Story director John Lasseter's mechanically minded tale of friendship and loyalty. Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) may be just a rookie, but he's convinced that he can realize his dream of zooming by the checkered flag if he can only make it to California in time to compete in the upcoming Piston Cup Championship. When Lightning takes a detour into the slow-moving, Route 66 town of Radiator Springs, however, it begins to appear as if his shot at the big time has effectively stalled out. Of course, Lightning's exciting cross-country trek wasn't all for naught, and after befriending such quirky Radiator Springs residents as Sally the Porsche (voice of Bonnie Hunt), Doc Hudson (voice of Paul Newman), and Mater the Tow Truck (voice of Larry the Cable Guy), the eager young racer learns that sometimes life is more about the voyage than the outcome of the race. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Twelve men who belong to one of the world's most exclusive fraternities -- people who've walked on the surface of the moon -- are paid homage in this documentary. Using newsreel footage, rare NASA photographs, and digitally animated re-creations, Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon examines the Apollo missions between 1969 and 1972 which put astronauts on the moon. In addition to explaining the technological know-how necessary to take our fliers to the moon, the film shares the thoughts of astronauts about what they saw and experienced in space, taken from their speeches and writings and read by a cast of distinguished actors, including Paul Newman, Morgan Freeman, Scott Glenn, Bill Paxton, and many more. Narrated by Tom Hanks (who also co-produced), Magnificent Desolation was shot and originally exhibited using the IMAX high-definition film format. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Mark Wexler is a successful photojournalist who has also distinguished himself as a documentary filmmaker, but in many ways he has spent much of his life in the shadow of his more famous father, Haskell Wexler. One of Hollywood's greatest cinematographers, Haskell is also known as a director (he made the acclaimed feature Medium Cool as well as a handful of documentaries) and as a tireless political activist. But while Haskell is widely respected as a major talent, he's also known for being fiercely opinionated and difficult to work with, and Mark makes no secret of the fact that he's had a prickly relationship with his dad. Mark Wexler takes a detailed look at the life and work of Haskell Wexler in Tell Them Who You Are, which examines Haskell's career in the movie business, his relationship with his family (including his three marriages and his frequent lack of respect for Mark), and how he's viewed by his friends and peers. Interview subjects include Jane Fonda, Paul Newman, George Lucas, Michael Douglas, Milos Forman, Ron Howard, Dennis Hopper, and many more. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Always his own best audience, celebrated author, social critic, and self-described political "nag" Gore Vidal also proves the ideal master of ceremonies (via film clips from an extended interview) for this biographical documentary. From the vantage point of his villa in Ravello, Italy, Vidal recalls his own tempestuous life and career, all the while dispensing caustic barbs aimed at the country of his birth, "The United States of Amnesia." The author's most famous literary works are touched upon, notably his Broadway plays Visit to a Small Planet and The Best Man; his iconoclastic historical novels Burr and Lincoln; and, of course, his once-scandalous best-seller Myra Breckenridge. Also given ample airspace are Vidal's many plunges into the political arena (a natural outgrowth of his heritage, coming as he did from a long line of Tennessee public servants), including his unsuccessful run for office; his ceaseless verbal assaults on the nation's Founding Fathers ("hucksters who were posing for history"); his shocking comments on the Kennedy clan during a 1973 telecast of The Dick Cavett Show; and his notorious 1968 TV confrontation with William F. Buckley, which degenerated into a vicious name-calling session, a lawsuit, and a public apology from Buckley. Several of Vidal's friends, associates, and admirers appear on camera, notably actors Eli Wallach, Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Tim Robbins, and Susan Sarandon, all of whom read passages from his novels. All in all, this is a fascinating glimpse into the psyche of a man described by one associate as a "nasty, witty, shrewd, contemptible fellow," and by other acquaintances as a warm, personable, caring gentleman. Previewed at the Sundance Film Festival January 20, 2003, The Education of Gore Vidal made its TV debut six months later as part of PBS' American Masters anthology. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The acclaimed graphic novel from crime writer Max Allan Collins becomes this big budget Dreamworks drama from director Sam Mendes and screenwriter David Self. Tom Hanks stars as Michael Sullivan, a morally conflicted Depression-era hit man committing murder in the name of his employer, John Rooney (Paul Newman). A kindly, aging Irish crime boss who raised Sullivan as his surrogate son, Rooney is affiliated with Al Capone in Chicago and thus wields great power in the "Tri-Cities" of Moline, IL; Rock Island, IL; and Davenport, IA. Curious about his father's mysterious profession, Sullivan's son, Michael Jr. (Tyler Hoechlin), stows away in his father's automobile one night and witnesses the execution of a man at the hands of Sullivan and Rooney's biological son, Connor (Daniel Craig). Although Michael keeps his promise to remain silent about what he's seen, the paranoid and unstable Connor tries to wipe out the entire Sullivan clan anyway, succeeding only in killing Sullivan's wife, Annie (Jennifer Jason Leigh), and youngest son, Peter (Liam Aiken). Enraged at this and another surprise betrayal by the Rooneys, Sullivan embarks on a path of bloody retribution, Michael in tow. Although he intends to leave his boy with relatives in the rural town of Perdition once the coast is clear, he ends up exposing Michael to the goriest aspects of his talents, slaughtering former associates as he dodges contract assassin Maguire (Jude Law) and cripples the cash flow of the Rooney and Capone organizations through a series of bank robberies, attempting to force either mob family to offer up the sequestered Connor as a sacrifice. Inspired by the popular Japanese comic book series Lone Wolf and Cub and based loosely on an episode from the life and career of notorious real-life crime figures John and Connor Looney, Road to Perdition co-stars Stanley Tucci as legendary Chicago mobster Frank Nitti. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

The American Film Institute's Directors: Martin Scorsese profiles the great director and offers insight into Scorsese's working methods, philosophies, and intentions. The documentary examines his total career, including his apprenticeship with Roger Corman, the great controversy over Last Temptation of Christ, his award-winning gangster picks, and Bringing Out the Dead, which received mixed reviews. Directed by Robert J. Emery, the one-hour program features interviews with Scorsese, Jodie Foster, Willem Dafoe, Barbara De Fina, Griffin Dunne, Ray Liotta, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Paul Newman, and Joe Pesci. Films excerpted include Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, After Hours, Casino, and others. ~ Betsy Boyd, All Movie Guide

Based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks, Message In A Bottle stars Robin Wright Penn as Theresa Osborne, a writer for the Chicago Tribune. While her son visits her cheating ex-husband, Theresa goes on a vacation by herself. One day, while running on the beach, she finds a bottle washed up on the shore. She opens it and inside finds a love letter unlike any she's ever read. Captivated by the author's words of love, she returns to her job at the Tribune where she convinces her boss to run an article about the mystery writer, known only as "G." He approves, and Theresa begins her hunt. Scrutinizing every physical detail of the letter and the path the bottle may have taken, she eventually locates Garret Blake (Kevin Costner), a North Carolina boat-restorer who has not been the same since the tragic death of his beloved wife Catherine. Since her death, Garret has written several letters to his dead wife, put them in a bottles, and let them loose in the sea. As Theresa spends time with Garret, she quickly falls in love with him, though she neglects to tell him she knows about the letters. Garret, prodded by his cantankerous, no-nonsense dad, Dodge (Paul Newman), emerges from his shell of grief and develops an interest in Theresa as well. Theresa returns to Chicago and Garret soon visits her; he meets her son, Jason (Jesse James), but also discovers her knowledge of the letters. Eventually the two, who have both lost love, must cast off their emotional baggage and decide if they will pursue love even if it can't always last. ~ Ron Wells, All Movie Guide

Fans of auto racing get a whole new perspective on Indy-style competition in this documentary, which was originally shot and distributed in the high-definition IMAX film format. Super Speedway offers an inside look at the nuts and bolts of Indy cars and offers a wealth of exceptional racing footage as legendary driver Mario Andretti and his son (and fellow racing champion) Michael Andretti race in competition with cameras mounted on their cars, capturing the speed and heart-pounding thrills of racing in a way few films have ever attempted. The video release also includes a documentary on the making of the film that offers additional racing footage, as well as a look at how the filmmakers and racers worked together to create Super Speedway. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Utilizing archival footage, personal interviews and film clips, This compilation film, recounts the colorful history of and pays tribute to one of Hollywood's most enduring studios, Universal Studios. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In a decade dominated by the New York Yankees, Babe Ruth became the nation's "heirloom." Inning four of Ken Burns' sweeping nine-part documentary series focuses on the years 1920-1930, when baseball's black mark left by the Black Sox scandal of 1919 was erased by the legend of Babe Ruth. His impact on the game far overshadowed the previous achievements of the beloved Ty Cobb. This episode also highlights other great players of the decade such as Rogers Hornsby and Walter Johnson, the organization by Rube Foster of the Negro Leagues, and the barnstorming of the country by the House of David. ~ Kathryn Tamms, All Movie Guide

The classic black-and-white newsreel clips and old photographs that dominated the first seven innings of Ken Burns' documentary tribute to America's pastime now give way to color clips as baseball enters the '60s in Ken Burns' Baseball: Inning 8 -- A Whole New Ballgame. In this decade, Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris tried to overtake Babe Ruth's home run record, Sandy Koufax made a name for himself, and Bob Gibson and Denny McLain had MVP pitching seasons. In other highlights, fans said goodbye to Ted Williams, welcomed the New York Mets, and Curt Flood challenged the reserve clause as institutional slavery when he refused to be traded from the Cardinals to the Phillies. ~ Kathryn Tamms, All Movie Guide

Ken Burns' celebrated baseball documentary has come full circle, from the black-and-white images of the game's beginnings to the full color of the modern era. Ken Burns' Baseball: Inning 9 -- Home, the final episode, deals with such threats to our national pastime as drug use by players, the egos of players and owners such as Reggie Jackson and George Steinbrenner, sky-rocketing salaries, and Pete Rose's banishment for gambling. But it also relives such moments as Hank Aaron breaking Babe Ruth's home run record, Carlton Fisk keeping the ball fair at Fenway with his body language, and Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. hitting back-to-back home runs in a game. Jackie Robinson's funeral is also covered in this episode, as Burns continues to pay tribute to the man who broke baseball's color barrier. ~ Kathryn Tamms, All Movie Guide