Paul Goodman Changed My Life

One of the most influential American public intellectuals of the 1960s, Paul Goodman (1911–1972), whose book Growing Up Absurd became a touchstone text for radical students of the era, is largely forgotten today, but Jonathan Lee's fine and fair-minded documentary should help revive his reputation. As a thinker, Goodman spread his net wide, writing novels and poetry while also advocating for social change reflected in a truly communal form of architecture, and top-to-bottom reform of public education. A committed pacifist, he condemned the Vietnam War (even before an audience of defense contractors) and was also a practicing therapist and co-founder of the Gestalt method, as well as a self-styled anarchist. Lee's film touches on all of these facets of Goodman's career through contemporary and archival interviews with Goodman's collaborators (including Ned Rorem and Allen Ginsberg), as well as observations by notables such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and TV clips, including Goodman's appearance on William F. Buckley's Firing Line. Lee also sheds light on Goodman's personal life; although married and the father of two children (his daughter and wife are among those interviewed), Goodman was openly bisexual, with a prodigious sexual appetite that he indulged with abandon. What emerges is a rounded portrait of a significant cultural figure of the late 20th century that celebrates Goodman's intelligence and honesty while not overlooking his flaws. DVD extras include an interview with the filmmaker, deleted scenes, and readings of three Goodman poems. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)