Sometimes a great notion dvd12/30/2023 ![]() The supporting cast includes some very recognizable 1970s face including character actors Roy Jenson, Charles Tyner, Jim Burk, and Joe Maross as town heavies trying to influence the Stamper's decision. A tough son of a bitch and crude to boot, he keeps his family going almost by force of will alone. Remick is typically solid as the quiet, attentive wife trapped in a life she doesn't think is so glamorous anymore, and Fonda is the perfect choice to play the Stamper patriarch. They butt heads because they are so alike. Lifestyles and outlook on life are different, but they are both strong-willed, smart, incredibly stubborn and both hard workers. Half-brothers with quite a past (no SPOILERS here), the two men are vastly different but also perfectly similar. Sarrazin's Lee is his polar opposite, a product of the late 1960s who's embrace a different lifestyle but returns to his estranged family after his life took a new turn. Newman's Hank is that quintessential Newman character, a bit of a rebel, someone who does things his way and doesn't really care what others think of him. The cast is the biggest reason for high marks. Why it isn't held in higher regard I just don't know because it certainly deserves more recognition than it's gotten. But when backed into a corner, family issues and personal problems will get thrown aside because family comes first, last and always.Ī sucker for strong ensemble casts, I fell hook, line and sinker for this one. ![]() Sarrazin's Lee marvels how the family and the business goes on, some of the time completely oblivious to the problems around them. Hank's wife Viv ( Lee Remick) is struggling to continue on with the life she leads. They are close-knit, all of them willing to stand up for the other, but that doesn't mean everything is perfect. At times, it reminded me of a 1970s version of John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath in its portrayal of the not so perfect, never easy life of a middle to lower class American family. As a director, Newman carves out a little niche of Americana here with his story of the Stamper family. I read about this movie years ago but was never able to track down a copy or stumble across it on TV, but thanks to Netflix Instant watch, I did finally get a chance to watch it. The Stampers try and piece it all together, figure it out, all the while worrying that the union will take drastic measures to put them out of business. In the midst of the work stoppage, half-brother and semi-hippie Leeland ( Michael Sarrazin) returns home with some previous issues welling up among the family. If everyone else wants to go on strike, let them. While everyone else objects to them continuing to work, the Stampers don't really give a damn, claiming they need to keep their word and fill contracts. Family patriarch Henry ( Henry Fonda) is hobbled by a recent fall that broke his left arm, but with sons Hanks (Newman) and Joe Ben ( Richard Jaeckel), is in good hands. Only one company remains open, the one belonging to the Stamper family, long-time residents of the area. In a small tight-knit coastal town in Oregon, the local loggers union is and has been on strike for quite awhile. ![]() What I do know is that it is definitely worth catching up with now. Why has it been forgotten? Who knows for sure. It was only recently that it became available on DVD through the Warner Archive. Based on a novel by One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest author Ken Kesey, 'Notion' has still somehow managed to be generally forgotten over the last 40-plus years despite the talent involved in the production. As a collective group, they are great together. ![]() It was nominated for two Academy Awards - neither of which won - and features an all-star cast, all of whom deliver performances worth talking about individually. Released in 1970, Sometimes a Great Notion was just Newman's second directing effort. One of my favorite actors, even Paul Newman took a crack at movie-making from the director's chair. I usually think of the positive examples though, actors who became successful, respected directors like Clint Eastwood, Robert Redford and Warren Beatty. There is a notion that actors turned directors are primadonna who just want a chance to show off their all-around skills. More than just acting, you see what it takes to actually make a movie from a business perspective. Spend enough time in front of a camera, and an observant actor/actress is going to pick certain things up. ![]()
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