Coming to VOD tomorrow, Friday, May 22: WINNING: THE RACING LIFE OF PAUL NEWMAN
Adam Carolla and Nate Adams’ tribute to the late actor’s passion for car racing made its debut at a special charity event in Los Angeles last month. It now becomes publicly available across VOD platforms via FilmBuff, including iTunes, Vudu, XBOX, Google Play, PlayStation, Amazon, and cable VOD, alongside special one-night only screening events, including one in conjunction with the Indy 500.
It’s revealed at the end of this affectionate celebration that comedian Adam Carolla, who serves as one of the film’s directors, is the present-day owner of several of Newman’s racing cars. This kind of personal affinity informs the project, which is heavy on anecdotes and love for the Oscar-winning Hollywood icon, but otherwise struggles to find a driving force to compel casual viewers forward. The film is most interesting as it details how Newman caught the racing bug while making the 1969 film WINNING, and otherwise does an only serviceable job recounting his growing dedication to the sport over time, eventually winning national championships and co-owning his own team. Interviewees include contemporaries in the racing world, including Willy T Ribbs, a trailblazing African-American driver, and Mario Andretti, as well as admirers from without, like famously car-crazy Jay Leno and Pixar’s John Lasseter, who developed a CARS character specifically for Newman to voice, in what was to be the actor’s final role.
what (not) to doc 