Paul Newman plays Harry Keach , a father who has been widowed for two years , who works as a demolition crane operator . He loses his hub due to a medical condition and finds himself battling his son and other personal demons .
When you think of Paul Newman films you don't think of Harry & Son and for good reason . This overlong , melodramatic film , directed by Newman is definitely not his best work .
It's nearly two hours of nothing much which ends extremely abruptly . Almost as if they ran out of money!
It definitely has the feel of a TV movie but actually wasn't .
Newman , unsurprisingly is the best thing about this film along with his real life wife , Joanne Woodward , but I haven't addressed the elephant in the room yet and that's Robby Benson who plays Howard , the son.
What a terrible actor ! He prances around looking like a cheep John Travolta, in a pair of shorts that should be on a twelve year old boy , flashing his eyelashes and whispering every line as if he's trying to be Brando . The worst thing is he has a massive amount of screen time as well .
He really is appalling and it's no wonder I've never seen him In anything since.
It was interesting to see a young Morgan Freeman in a small cameo and Wilfred Brimley whois criminally underused.
Unless you are a massive Paul Newman fan ( and I am ) , then I wouldn't bother .