There's a fine line between a gilded self-congratulatory look back and a warts-and-all down-to-earth confessional. Neither is entirely satisfactory on its own, a fact that director Douglas McGrath (Infamous, much more than just the other Truman Capote biopic) understands intimately. His documentary on producer and natural-born showman Jerry Weintraub offers us both – we get our peek into Weintraub’s posh pad and a cavalcade of celebrities delivering approving (yet slightly sarcastic) recollections. What makes His Way a solid documentary is, not surprisingly, Weintraub himself. Tanned and with a mouth of piercingly white teeth, Weintraub (seventy two and looking good at the time of filming) reclines and delivers a tale of a Bronx boy made good.
McGrath and his team have unearthed a wealth of footage to bring Weintraub’s growing years to startling light – there’s footage aplenty, sometimes of the young Jerry, but frequently marginally connected yet immensely helpful. Weintraub tells of his time in the military and how his salesmanship manifested itself via his father, a gem salesman with a talent for presentation. In case you’re curious about Weintraub’s own pedigree, he is the producer of Nashville, the original The Karate Kid and Diner. He is also responsible for the Ocean’s trilogy, definitely a pinnacle in my book. Currently Weintraub has two films on his plate, the upcoming Steven Soderbergh biopic Liberace and a remake of a film he’d previously produced. George Burns’ vehicle Oh, God!
When you’re producing remakes of your greatest hits, so to speak, there must be something special to the way Weintraub conducts business. There is – though to put your finger on it would rob the film of that slickHollywoodsheen that coats it. There is a realization of a dream here, the rocketing to the top of a kid who refused to be pushed around – as James Caan comments, growing up in the Bronx must have schooled Weintraub in the basics of friends and everyone else. There’s a real Noo-Yok feel to the man, something that those of us who claim the Big Apple home can relate to and even admire.
The charming roulette of actors and a few directors pop in to say a quip or two and the film peaks with McGrath electing to intercut a story told simultaneously by Weintraub and his long-time partner Jane Morgan. Later on, girlfriend Susie Ekins will enter the picture. It’s a testament to Weintraub’s social skills and Morgan’s open-heartedness that the two have not divorced and Morgan has accepted Ekins as part of the family.
The 85-minute documentary moves fast, charting Weintraub’s rise as Elvis Presley’s concert promoter. The way Weintraub tells it, he called Colonel Parker (Presley’s mentor/manager) for a year, every day, every morning, asking to take Elvis on tour. Then, one day, Parker said “yes” and offered Weintraub a reasonable price to take The King on the road – one million dollars. Weintraub made it happen and his career took off. The man has a gift for either a selective memory or an extremely dedicated one, because he shares incidents of genius decision making in the heat of the moment with a wealth of detail – meanwhile, I’m hazy about what I did yesterday.
A key moment in His Way comes near the end – it’s a touching, brief, and very open piece of an interview with actress Ellen Barkin (Ocean’s Thirteen brought her back to prominence but Barkin is a fantastic actress with a storied career). Barkin doesn’t hold back when she talks about personal hardships and how Weintraub had phoned her up with news of her playing the female lead in the third Ocean’s film. She looks ready to break into tears as she remembers the actual call, her respect, admiration and genuine love for Jerry Weintraub a moving reminder that underneath the glamour, even the self-aggrandizing giants will occasionally offer their shoulder to ride on. Too flowery? So be it, this is a definite recommendation.
DVD Bonus Features
Can you say “meh” – the only feature included is two minutes on Weintraub’s first job. So be it.
"His Way" is on sale November 1, 2011 and is not rated. Documentary. Directed by Douglas Mcgrath. Starring Brad Pitt, George Clooney, James Caan, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, Ellen Barkin, Jerry Weintraub.
