Cooper & Hemingway: The True Gen
In many ways it was the perfect match: Ernest Hemingway whose heroes personified his definition of courage – “grace under pressure” – and Gary Cooper, the man who often portrayed those characters on screen. Yet in other ways-politically, intellectually, and personally- Hemingway and Cooper were a study in contradictions. The story of this extraordinary 20+ year friendship is the focus of this documentary, the film narrated by Sam Waterson, features interviews with such Hollywood luminaries as Kirk Douglas, Charlton Heston, George Plimpton, and Patricia Neal.
Cooper & Hemingway: The True Gen is a 2013 documentary film about the 20-year friendship between writer Ernest Hemingway and film actor Gary Cooper. Written and directed by John Mulholland, it is narrated by actor Sam Waterston with actor Len Cariou as the voice of writer Ernest Hemingway.
The film was reviewed by The New York Times film critic Andy Webster on October 11, 2013 and was named an NY Times Critics’ Pic by Manohla Dargis, A. O. Scott and Stephen Holden. Webster said the picture was proof that the work of these two men “endures and so does what they stood for”.
James Van Maanen, film critic for Trust Movies, called the film “a first class, dual celebrity bio-doc”.
Michael Nordine of the Village Voice said that the film was informative to a fault, while Robert Abele of the Los Angeles Times said, “There’s an intriguing investigation to be made of the unlikely bond between an easygoing, friendly Hollywood conservative and an intemperate, hard-drinking arts-and-letters liberal who chewed on heroic ideals for a living.”
Cooper & Hemingway: The True Gen. Written/Directed by John Mulholland and Produced by Richard Zampella
