The Sting (1973) – 50th Anniversary

Fifty years ago, Paul Newman and Robert Redford reunited for The Sting! Redford plays a small-time grifter, but there’s nothing small-time about this movie. Newman and Redford orchestrate a con on cantankerous crime boss, Doyle Lonnegan, played by Robert Shaw. This story will show you a good time and pull the rug out from under your feet. Still not convinced to give it a shot? This movie won 7 Oscars! How about that?

The Color of Money (1986)

Last year we checked out the 1961 classic Paul Newman film, “The Hustler”. This week we’re looking at the sequel, 1986’s the Color of Money. What has Fast Eddie Felson been up to for the last 25 years? This movie has all the answers. Directed by Martin Scorsese and featuring some early work by Tom Cruise, this is the film that finally won Newman an academy award for Best Actor.

The Verdict (1982)

The Verdict is a movie about a medical malpractice lawsuit that marks a milestone in Paul Newman’s career. Join us for a discussion of this deceptively good film that turns the charismatic leading man into a sad, old, washed up lawyer trying, and perhaps succeeding, to rekindle his life.

Road to Perdition (2002)

Road to Perdition is the only movie we could think of that features Tom Hanks as anything other than a wholesome heroic type. It turns out he’s an honest-to-goodness actor and he can absolutely pull off the Irish gangster dead set on avenging his murdered family, especially when he’s sharing the screen with other talented actors such as Paul Newman and Daniel Craig. Who knew!

The Hustler (1961)

Today we’re talking 1961’s The Hustler, which might just be the greatest movie about the game of pool that has ever been made. Starring Paul Newman, Piper Laurie, and George C. Scott, it’s a tale of an up-and-coming pool hustler trying to make it big but, more importantly, it’s the story of a man trying to figure out what makes a person a “winner”.