Timeless Heroes: Indiana Jones and Harrison Ford is a brilliant new documentary about the cinematic icon and iconic actor.
“It’s not the years, honey, it’s the mileage.” – Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford)
If there’s something I’ve learned from watching the many Laurent Bouzereau documentaries through the years, it’s to never be disappointed. Sure enough, the filmmaker comes through yet again with a very informative documentary about not only Indiana Jones the character but Harrison Ford the actor. When it comes to Ford as an actor, the film is more than just a Wikipedia biography. Sure, the film could have gone that route but Bouzereau is a better filmmaker for not doing so. What I enjoy about the film is how they utilize the clips from earlier TV appearances in discussing his earlier career before big breaks in American Graffiti and Star Wars. Unfortunately, there are no clips from The Frisco Kid. If anything, this is my biggest disappointment among film clips missing from the documentary.
One thing for sure is that I do not envy editor Jeff Pickett and the editorial team. There are film/TV clips, interviews, and BTS footage. Weaving all of this together and telling a coherent story is easier said than done. I like how they are able to make room for 2023 footage such as the podcast appearance with Conan O’Brien. It’s worth checking out the must-watch interview on YouTube. Honestly, the podcast makes for a solid companion in learning more about Ford’s backstory. Anyway, I was most curious as to how this would go down because of the previous documentaries already out there. It certainly helps that there is new footage that’s never been used in the earlier making-of-documentaries about the Indiana Jones movies.
Why is Harrison Ford so appealing as an actor and how has he managed to have a career for so long? Perhaps another question might be is how did a kid from the Midwest end up as one of the biggest movie stars of his generation. What is it that leads Ford to choose the projects that he does? The documentary gets into some of this and more. While it works as a documentary on Ford, it equally works as an abbreviated documentary on making the Indiana Jones movies. But again, this is a documentary on the character and the man wearing the fedora and wielding the whip. If you’re going to make a documentary about the iconic archaeologist, you cannot do so without George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Frank Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy, or John Williams. All of them are pivotal in bringing Indy to the screen.
In exploring the legacy, the documentary introduces us to teachers influenced by the films. How did Indiana Jones shape their decisions? Much in the same way that Jurassic Park led to people falling in love with dinosaurs, these films led people into archaeology. Not many of them carry a whip for their job. Indy seems to be one of a kind.
Listen, we can discuss Star Wars all day but there’s something special about the Indiana Jones franchise. Maybe it’s the combo of everyone involved in bringing the character to the screen but it’s a very different role than Han Solo. Ford plays both characters so differently, too. Oh yeah–nobody can ever play Indiana Jones again. Ford is Indiana Jones and Indiana Jones is Harrison Ford. George Lucas tried something interesting with the Young Indiana Jones series but it’s not the same. If anything, the series offers its audience a history lesson.
This is a documentary that dives into the history behind the franchise. We all know the basics by now and that just goes without saying. The bigger question may be how is this character so enduring over 40 years later. Again, I think it comes back to how Spielberg, Lucas, and a number of other filmmakers were changing Hollywood in the 1970s. Ford would later work with some other filmmakers who were doing their own thing. If not for his work with Peter Weir, it’s doubtful River Phoenix would ever play young Indy in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Weir previously directed Ford in Witness. How Ford hasn’t won a competitive Oscar yet is beyond me.
Of course, we also have clips from Ford’s work in the 1990s. The 1980s would make way for Harrison Ford the action star in the 1990s. If he wasn’t playing a CIA spy, he was playing one of the best cinematic presidents ever. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny filmmaker James Mangold refers to Air Force One as a guilty pleasure. I mean, it’s a classic presidential action thriller! How can anyone not enjoy it?!? Similarly, The Fugitive is one of the best films in Ford’s entire filmography. I can go on and on. We’re talking about one of the best actors of all time. And yes, you cannot make this film without including photos or video from the reunion between Ford and Key Huy Quan. How lovely was that?!?
Timeless Heroes has a bigger focus on Indiana Jones but it may just be the closest we ever come to an authorized biography of Harrison Ford. Bring on Laurent Bouzereau’s upcoming documentary about John Williams!
DIRECTOR: Laurent Bouzereau
FEATURING: Harrison Ford, Kathleen Kennedy, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Frank Marshall, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, James Mangold, Lawrence Kasdan, John Williams, Karen Allen, Kate Capshaw, John Rhys-Davies, Mads Mikkelsen, Antonio Banderas, Toby Jones, Ethann Isidore, Shaunette Renee Wilson, Sean Connery, Ke Huy Quan, River Phoenix, Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, Peter Weir, Anthony Mackie, Elvis Mitchell, Fred Hiebert, Thomas Riddle, Alexandra Jones, Lev Watach, Ben Cooke, Rupert Shelbourne, Francis “Frank” Macpherson, Emily Thomas, Marco De Magalhaes, Jason Torbett
Disney+ launched Timeless Heroes: Indiana Jones and Harrison Ford on December 1, 2023. Grade: 5/5
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