Among the various successful lineups of Disney’s Pixar, it features popular titles like Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, and many more. However, there is one underrated franchise that does not get the wholehearted love it deserves. It is none other than Cars. The film is often overlooked but it is surely one of the classic films that is enjoyed by children and adults alike.
Though one would assume from the title that the story is merely about some automobiles, its central themes are much more complex and center more than just vehicles. The film teaches us grounded values with a gripping storyline in a fast-paced racing world. But the film is much deeper than that as it became Paul Newman’s most popular film giving him a fitting tribute before he passed away in 2008.
Disney Gave Paul Newman’s Most Popular Role Before He Died of Cancer
There’s no denying that Paul Newman was a spectacular actor, who has appeared in a number of iconic films such as The Sting, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Cool Hand Luke, The Color of Money, and many more. But his portrayal of Doc Hudson in the 2006 film, Cars is in a league of its own. The film tells the story of Lightning McQueen, a rookie race car who evolves from a selfish and greedy race car to a humble persona.
However, that was not easy because he got a rude awakening in a run-down town called Radiator Springs, where he met Doc Hudson. The primary virtue of the film is its characters and the relationships between them. The 2006 film’s primary arc involves the relationship between Hudson and McQueen’s blossoming relationship as a mentor and a mentee.
Furthermore, the pure friendship with Mater The Tow Truck, and Sally Carrera was loved by the fans and served as the young car’s change in character. Blended with perfect animation and wonderful storytelling, Disney Pixar’s Cars was clever and moving.
The first film’s two arcs perfectly lead to the climax, when McQueen goes toe to toe against his two rivals to win the Piston Cup. However, in the race, the inevitable climax in Lightning McQueen’s character arc is an epic contest that was put in a film, that is when The King suffers a horrible crash in his final race.
McQueen sacrifices his championship to assist the veteran racer to push The King across the finish line. The scene encompasses the film’s central theme, that is, racing is more than just winning, rather than “it’s just an empty cup” via Pixar.
As a result, the film earned $462 million at the box office, according to reports from Box Office Mojo. The Disney film was a perfect tribute to Newman, and sometimes we wish that he were here for the 18th anniversary of the film.
Tom Cruise Recalls His First Meeting With Paul Newman
Tom Cruise has always been a massive fan of Paul Newman and he always considered him his idol. In his early days, Cruise admitted that he had always wanted to meet and work with Newman.
During an exclusive interview with Independent, the Top Gun actor shared he first got the opportunity to work with his idol in Harry & Son, but he couldn’t bag the role in the film. He said,
I auditioned for Harry & Son mostly because I wanted to meet Paul. I was nervous. Starting as a young actor, you want people to like you, you want people to like your work, you want to be accepted.
Nevertheless, the actor got the opportunity to work with his idol, 2 years later in Martin Scorsese’s The Color of Money. The Mission Impossible actor was a pool hustler Vincent Lauria, who Eddie ‘Fast Eddie’ Felson (Paul Newman) took under his wing.
Cars (2006) can be streamed on Disney+.
