Emily Barclay Ford, If anybody has ever dealt with someone with addiction, you know it has nothing to do with someone else, she replied. Sr. (now on Netflix) lets us see inside Robert Downey Jr.s home and a little bit of whats inside his heart. [10] In 1998 he married his third wife, Rosemary Rogers, humorist and co-author of Saints Preserve Us! Paul Thomas Anderson was inspired by them. RT25: Celebrating 25 years of Rotten Tomatoes. But as viewers can see in the doc, not all of those get answered in the final scene the two men share, which just so happened to be the last time they were together. So we thought it was cute to let 'em smoke it and all that. Poguelandia is not quite the paradise the Pogues hoped. The film becomes more direct as Sr.s condition worsens, and Jr. openly contemplates if a moment might be the last time he sees his father alive. In a new limited series, host Barack Obama visits three American workplaces. 1,100, This story has been shared 1,047 times. Terms and Policies That is its strength and, it seems, raison dtre, even if the film, directed by Chris Smith (American Movie, Fyre), with what might be called an unofficial assist from Downey Sr., feels largely made up as they went along and a product of some skillfully managed editing. John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We want to hear it. See production, box office & company info, Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths. ", Downey Jr. reflected on his dad's addiction as a disease in a recent Deadline interview, saying it's an "uncomfortable" conversation in general since "nobody wants to admit complete defeat over trying to deal with something like alcoholism or addiction. Even standing back there watching it 40 minutes ago, I was like, Jesus. Im still processing it but its a luxury to have something like that documented as a touchstone to keep going back and thinking about it., Hes even grateful for those unanswered questions. ", Downey Jr., who is now sober, said it took him another 20 years to "get my own s--- together.". 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. Copyright Fandango. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. ', Sr.: Robert Downey Jr. Did you look that up or was that a headline? she asked. I wont give the example but theres just so much of it that you kind of go, that just reeks of bullshit., Feinberg then asked Susan Downey about the coincidence that both Downey men turned their lives around while in relationships with women who had great impact on their lives. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing this? Is The Nurse On Netflix Based On A True Story? He was known for writing and directing his underground film Putney Swope, a satire on the New York Madison Avenue advertising world. : The recent slate of surprisingly intimate celeb-bio documentaries includes Val Kilmers Val, Charlotte Gainsbourgs Jane by Charlotte and Jonah Hill-and-his-therapist film Stutz. So why not give him the chance to do his thing while they do theirs? He proved to be a unique doc subject in that rather than open up his life and sit for extended interviews, he pretty quickly hijacked the production and opted to direct his own movie within a movie. Rating: R (Language and Some. [7], On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 98% of 47 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.8/10. Just confirm how you got your ticket. Sr. cast his then-five-year-old son Robert in a 1970 film called Pound, an allegory featuring actors playing dogs, and gave the boy his first onscreen line: Got any hair on your balls? Asked about his dad as a parent, the grown-up Jr. declares it was complicated, in that most of his attention was on the process of chasing the muse. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? 'Sr.' Director Chris Smith On The Things Left Unsaid Between Robert Downey Sr. And His Famous Son https://bit.ly/3LeHj8x #DeadlineContenders TV Documentary + Unscripted 29 Apr 2023 17:51:15 It won the National Board of Review Award for Best Documentary Feature. I passed him a joint," he recalled at the time. Robert Downey Jr. is reflecting on past drug addiction from a young age. [6], "Sr." was released in selected theatres on November 18, 2022, before streaming on Netflix beginning December 2. [14], Downey's films were often family affairs. 1,935, This story has been shared 1,875 times. Dolby Digital, Best Upcoming Documentaries from the Fall Festivals. I don't blame anybody.' 'Sr.' Director Chris Smith On The Things Left Unsaid Between Robert Downey Sr. And His Famous Son -Contenders TV: Docs + Unscripted By Matthew Carey April 29, 2023 10:50am Deadline If. 2023 Rolling Stone, LLC. Thats how life is like, maybe we dont always get the answers that were looking for, but in that is the answer that were looking for.. Deadline is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Performance Worth Watching: We all know Jr. and his inimitable personality (essentially a softer version of the flippant fast-talker we see on screen), so its fascinating to zoom in on Sr. and see how far the apple fell from the tree. Coming Soon. All rights reserved. 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 come Read allFollow 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.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. 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Robert Downey Jr. recalled in the Netflix documentary that he was "playing a game of just wanting to self-soothe or just stay loaded rather than deal with the fact that things had gone off the tracks a little bit". I wasnt thinking about any of this, he admitted. 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). We here about the effect that a bohemian lifestyle has on kids and what happens when one artists demons mirror anothers. Downey Jr. produced the film alongside Susan Downey, Emily Barclay Ford and Kevin Ford. 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Theres a greater idea at play here that clearly supersedes any concerns that the film is a vanity project or navel-gazing exercise, and its spoken clearly during a Zoom session between Jr. and his therapist, the latter pointing out that he and his father have always found their personal lives inevitably tangled with their filmmaking, so it makes sense that theyd explore their relationship via their art. McKay's cast includes Amy Adams ( Vice ), Forest Whitaker ( Big George Foreman ), Danielle Deadwyler ( Till ), and Robert Downey Jr. ( Oppenheimer ), who most recently produced and appeared in his . Here's When It Returns With New Episodes, Drew Barrymore Halts Segment After "Severely Old" Mac and Cheese Noodle Flies off Her Desk: "It's Rock Hard", Drew Barrymore Opens Up to Madison Beer About Attempting Suicide Twice: "I Was So Desperate". Robert Downey Jr. pays tribute to his late father in this documentary chronicling the life and eclectic career of pioneering filmmaker Robert Downey Sr. "And suddenly I knew I had made a terrible, stupid mistake. Robert Downey, Sr. is Robert Downey, Jr.'s father. 2023 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. Sr. will be available on Netflix before the end of the year. The doc touches upon, rather than dissects, the idea that Jr.s addiction may have been inadvertently fostered by his permissive dad, a seemingly pivotal piece of their symbiotic dynamic. 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He initially thought of doing a film about Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr., but the star proposed something different. The films were highly eccentric live-wire comedies, often high-concept or allegorical. By now you'd think Robert was Jimmy Cliff's dealer at age 8. [13] His last film was Rittenhouse Square (2005), a documentary capturing life in a Philadelphia park. The story of American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in the development of the atomic bomb. Susan Downey, [9], Gary Goldstein of The Los Angeles Times wrote: "Sr. proves a tender portrait and fitting tribute to an offbeat hero and creative pioneer. What Movies Will It Remind You Of? and the Just a bit of referencing might have helped round out some patchy family history. Coming Soon. [10] He changed his surname to Downey after his stepfather, when he wanted to enlist in the United States Army while being underage. The conversations begin to have a push-pull dynamic, along with an incredible sense of candor and honesty. It currently sits as Downey Jr.s best reviewed project on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, a surreal fact that he pointed out on stage. Alan Arkin: You didn't even know if there was a story. I had seen Putney Swope which I think a lot of people had but it wasnt until Robert [Jr.] sort of pointed us in that direction that I started looking at everything else, and just got a much bigger view of the body of work and the reflection on the person., RELATED:Contenders Docs + Unscripted Deadlines Complete Coverage. Our Take: Sr. is shot in gorgeous, crystalline black-and-white, perhaps to reflect the aesthetic of Sr.s early work, perhaps to give it a nostalgic aesthetic, perhaps to render the relationship between father and son within a warm, soft, gray area where simple emotions love, respect, fondness can comfortably exist alongside the more complicated ones. 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Filming Locations for the Disney+ Movie, Alexander Molony Is the Perfect Blend of Charming and Naive in Disney+s Peter Pan & Wendy, What Time Will 'Peter Pan & Wendy' Be on Disney+? 1,047, This story has been shared 929 times. I'll never forgive myself, but Robert and I have dealt with it, and he's said to me, 'I'm not a victim, Dad. [22], Robert Downey Jr. Inside The Actors Studio Pt. Eventually, Jr. and his son go back east to see Sr., at which part a serious leap of faith completely turns into an incredible example of trust. 5,614, This story has been shared 4,590 times. Downey Jr. wasnt alone in feeling overwhelmed with emotion. The Times is committed to reviewing theatrical film releases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Robert Downey Sr. and Robert Downey Jr. in 2014. [21], A 2022 documentary film simply called "Sr." was made by Chris Smith of American Movie fame and was produced by his son. What most notoriously binds Sr. and son, however, was a long and self-destructive addiction to drugs: Downey Sr.s began in the mid-70s; Jr.s far more well-documented habit landed him a prison stretch a few decades later. 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. Get the freshest reviews, news, and more delivered right to your inbox! Is one powerful family to blame for the deaths of five people in the wilds of South Carolinas Lowcountry? He was 85. Family remains a through line, if not exactly a center of stability. Downey Sr.s relationship with his son, Robert Downey Jr., is a prominent part of the story. To do it by making a movie or his version of it, it just kind ends up making sense.. Signup for Breaking News Alerts & Newsletters. Three years ago, Robert Downey Jr. started filming a documentary about his father alongside director Chris Smith. In another time, Sr would have been the Paul Thomas Anderson of his age, making undefinable, irreverent, sometimes incomprehensible movies, but with wider acceptance and better production values. Verified reviews are considered more trustworthy by fellow moviegoers. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. Come up to our place in the Hamptons, the younger Robert said. Its just the way that it unfolded was really evocative, he explained, crediting Smith as our fearless director and adding, We were just trying to strike the right balance.. The Two Bobs: Robert Downey Sr. and Robert Downey Jr. in 'Sr.' Netflix. We wont be able to verify your ticket today, but its great to know for the future. Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy. That was no easy feat. Send us a tip using our annonymous form. The documentary is part Sr.s project, a biographical retrospective of sorts that finds him visiting New York City locations where he shot some of his infamously wild underground films, and eyeballing the building where the Downey family lived in the 70s. Rated: R, for language and some drug useRunning time: 1 hour, 29 minutesPlaying: Starts Nov. 23, Laemmle Monica Film Center, Santa Monica; available Dec. 2 on Netflix, Robert Downey Sr. in the documentary Sr., Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Jack Nicholson returns courtside to cheer beloved Lakers to playoff win, Disney neglected it. ", "Giving a little kid a toke of grass just to be funny," he continued. Trending Rating: 4,590, This story has been shared 4,235 times. cinema legend is his own way of coming full circle. Cinemark Your AMC Ticket Confirmation# can be found in your order confirmation email. In the final moments of the Chris Smith-directed film, much sniffling could be heard inside the theater where celebrity guests like Tom Holland, Zendaya, Adrien Brody and Oscar winner Travon Free also took in the screening. Adrien Brody attends the screening and discussion. Coming Soon. "Sr." is a 2022 American documentary film that examines the careers and relationship between Robert Downey Jr. and his father, Robert Downey Sr. [1] [2] [3] The film, directed by Chris Smith, was released theatrically on November 18, 2022, and was released on Netflix on December 2. 'Citadel' Episode Guide: When Do New Episodes Premiere on Prime Video? 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. Sr. made eight films between 1965 and 1975, most famously the satirical black comedy Putney Swope, which was entered in the National Film Registry. He told the camera, "I was a drug addict. 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. All About Robert Downey Jr.'s Late Dad, Robert Downey Sr. Robert Downey Jr. and Susan Downey's Relationship Timeline, Robert Downey Jr. Pops will be there with us. Theres a winking irreverence to these men and their work (theres a point when Jr. says of his father, I still feel like, on some level, hes fing with us) that underscores everything they do, which is where we further understand Arkins comment about benign nihilism. And theres the high-minded stuff sneaking in again, although it never undermines the tenderness of a quiet moment in which Jr. and his son Exton lean into an ailing, bedridden Sr. for a three-way hug. It's Me, Margaret. Its a question thats 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 his exponentially more famous, deeply devoted son: Iron Man, Avengers and Sherlock Holmes star, Robert Downey Jr. Downey Sr. (born Robert Elias and referred to here simply as Sr.) may have been little more than a blip on the cinematic radar these last few decades.