Paul Goodman (1911 - 1972) was truly a Renaissance man. He was a philosopher, poet, novelist, psychologist, anarchist, social critic, education reformer, pacifist, teacher, city planner, and leader of the New Left. His career as a writer took off with Growing Up Absurd (1960), a radical critique of the ways in which the youth in college during the 1960s were brought up and educated. The book made him very popular with this age group and opened many doors for him to talk about the many things that interested him.
Jonathan Lee is the director of this engrossing documentary which, like its subject, roams freely from one topic to another. We see Goodman regaling conservative TV personality William Buckley with his unconventional ideas on educational reform; we learn of his harsh condemnation of the greed of the military-industrial complex; we see him as a vehement critic of the war in Vietnam; we hear about his creative fiction and poetry; and we listen to praise for his contributions to the avant-garde Living Theatre and Gestalt Therapy.
Friends had such high regard for Goodman's brilliant and incisive intellect that they could overlook his disheveled appearance consisting of worn-out sweaters, uncombed hair, and a sideways smile. He was a Jew and a professional outsider who made people uneasy given his seminal talents and multiple interests. He spent mornings at home writing and then went roaming through the city, returning for dinner. His wife tolerated his bisexuality but many others were turned off by his repeated sexual advances toward them. He died of a heart attack following the accidental death of his son.
Paul Goodman changed many lives with his rigorous humanism but few today remember anything about him. That is why this documentary is such a welcome resource to those who want to learn more about one of our major cultural heroes. In the documentary, he is compaed to Ralph Waldo Emerson. Not a bad fit at all!
Special features on the DVD include a video interview with director Jonathan Lee; deleted scenes; additional poetry readings; Living Theatre founder Judith Malina reads from her diaries; and the theatrical trailer.
