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Paul Newman starred in dozens of critically acclaimed films and box office hits. Yet one particular role stood out in Newman's own eyes.
Newman played a variety of characters in his diverse, cross-genre filmography. This includes the charismatic leader of the Hole in the Wall Gang, Butch Cassidy, in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969).
He made a mark with "Fast" Eddie Felson, a haughty pool player chasing greatness, in The Hustler (1961) and The Color of Money (1986). For some, Newman's best performance came in 1967 as the rebellious prisoner Luke Jackson in Cool Hand Luke.
Despite those iconic on-screen personas, the award-winning Hollywood legend himself named Frank Galvin as one of his favorites.
Galvin is the lead character in the 1982 legal drama The Verdict. Newman played an alcoholic Boston lawyer who just couldn't catch a break. This changed when he came across a medical malpractice case and accepted it in an attempt to revive his career and, ultimately, seek redemption.
According to Newman, it was only in this film that he began to hit his stride. As for Frank Galvin, Newman described it as "foremost among the contenders" for his favorite role.
Newman leaned into the character's flawed nature. He veered away from his familiar hero role to portray a down-and-out man on the brink of defeat. Newman had arguably his best moment in the film's climax as he delivered a poignant yet powerful closing argument for his case.
Newman was nominated for Best Actor in both the Academy Awards and the Golden Globe Awards for his memorable performance in The Verdict.
The Verdict Ranked Among Paul Newman's Best Films
Rotten Tomatoes curated a list of Newman's 15 greatest movies. Unsurprisingly, The Verdict ranks among the best of more than 80 feature films in his legendary career.
The Verdict joins Newman's other acclaimed films, which include Slap Shot (1977), The Sting (1973) and Harper (1966), to name a few.
With a Tomatometer score of 88% on the renowned movie review website, The Verdict also stands out as one of Newman's most highly-rated films.
"Paul Newman is at the peak of his powers as an attorney who never lived up to his potential in The Verdict, supported by David Mamet's crackling script and Sidney Lumet's confident direction," the critics' consensus on the site read.
