American Masters (TV Series) A Conversation with Gregory Peck (1999) User Reviews

The stuff legends are made of...dignity, restraint and a sense of humor...

[Doylenf · 7/10 · 4 May 2007]

GREGORY PECK always excelled on screen when he played a man of integrity. I preferred him in that guise rather than as a villain, although he frequently had to alternate between both type of men. But in this documentary, A CONVERSATION WITH GREGORY PECK, it's reassuring to know that the real Gregory Peck was indeed a man of integrity, inner strength, patience, humility and a great sense of humor about many aspects of his acting career.

Peck always seems to genuinely appreciate the interest fans have in the Q&A section of the documentary when he gives his lecture tours. Obviously the man has connected with fans who were moved by his many portrayals, especially his Atticus Finch in TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, a topic which comes up frequently when fans ask him about his career. He comes across as a very gentle man--and while watching him as an elderly star long past his theatrical prime--one can almost find it difficult to picture him as the villainous Lewt from DUEL IN THE SUN or the sadist of THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL.

His true humility comes across in many of his answers. He talks at length about insisting that AUDREY HEPBURN be given name above the title with him in ROMAN HOLIDAY when he realized what a tremendous impression she made in her first important role. With billing being such a precious thing to stars, it's just one revelation that shows his kindness and integrity in standing up for Audrey when the studio opposed the idea.

Peck's love and pride in his grown sons is evident, as is the frank revelations of the deep depression he felt when his youngest son committed suicide during the Vietnam years. Humorous anecdotes about how he first met his loyal wife, Veronique, in Rome during the shooting of ROMAN HOLIDAY, are also told for the amusement of the responsive audience.

Summing up: Truly a film legend given the royal treatment in a biography all his fans (and non-fans) should definitely find inspirational and a reminder that there's still some dignity in aging gracefully.

Dignity and Old Age

[jimselman-1 · 10/10 · 5 August 2006]

This film not only depicts the life and work of a great actor, but gives us insight into a great human being and the possibility of growing older with power and grace and generosity. What if we could all command a stage for an hour or so to share our experience and our lives with those who love and admire us, and leave them feeling better about themselves because we were here. His roles were about ordinary people with extraordinary commitments and he was clearly a man that 'walked his talk' in every scene of this marvelous documentary. Most moving was his obvious love and respect for everyone in his family and his friends and his ability to balance a serious concern for serious issues while maintaining a sense of grace and humor and humility that could be a noble standard for us all.

ESSENTIAL VIEWING FOR PECK FANS

[agraham83 · 27 August 2000]

This Turner classic movies documentary was directed by Barbera Kopple, who is in my opinion the best documentariast we've got, she has done "WIld man blues"(on Woody Allen) and "Harlan County Usa". Anyway, this documentary shows clips from many Peck films, and shows him at his home and just how he lives. Also there are segments where he did question and answer shows and many interesting clips of that are shown. there are cameos by Martin Scorsese and Lauren Bacall. This is an astounding good documentary and i recommend it to any fans of Peck. Peck is probably the last true classic cinematic hero alive, and i'm so happy that this documentary exists for that reason.

Gregory Peck's Career And Life

[CitizenCaine · 10/10 · 4 August 2008]

Gregory Peck is one of those actors whose looks must have played a role in his becoming a successful actor. However, after viewing this documentary by Barbara Kopple, it's clear that Peck's pleasant personality and demeanor must have also played a role in his achievements. The film intersperses clips of him on tour across the country talking about his career and life with many moments of fun and warmth with his family members, most notably his wife and daughter Cecelia. Whether its telling anecdotes from the set of making Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn or relaying stories about his own life, Peck registers dignity, humility, humor, warmth, and wisdom. The juxtaposition of the aforementioned clips by Kopple demonstrates that Peck is very much like his favorite character Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird. The film adequately covers his film career while exploring his personal life in depth, which is refreshing as well as it is revealing. Peck died five years after this film was released, and he did not make another film. In a sense, we witness an American icon near the end of his life, still curious, enthusiastic, and satisfied. Another bonus is we are privy to the host of dignitaries and famous people he ran across in his every day life. This is a rare treat to see a portrait of an actor who was probably even larger in life than on screen. **** of 4 stars.

Beautiful look at a beautiful person

[blanche-2 · 10/10 · 7 November 2016]

Gregory Peck is considered one of truly great actors of our time -- not only was he a great actor, but he was charismatic, warm, and handsome, with a distinctive speaking voice and impressive height. The whole package.

His fair-minded viewpoint often dictated the films he did, such as Gentlemens Agreement, but his favorite role is everybody's favorite role of his, Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird.

Here, we see him in several theaters talking about his career and taking questions from the audience, showing a sense of humor and a way of telling a story. And as a professional, that's how he would like to be remembered, as a good storyteller.

He aged with grace and dignity, surrounded by a family who obviously adored him. He took stock of his life and career in an honest way, speaking of his son Jon, who committed suicide. "Perhaps if I had spent more time with him..." he says. Losing his son was the saddest day of his life. Then we see his joy as he holds his newest grandchild. "You go on," he says, "you get back into the world."

I was friendly with the actress Rita Gam; she made a western with him and they were supposed to do a nude scene. I don't think it was terribly graphic. He said, "Come on, Rita, let's do it like the young people do." When asked at one of the Q&As if Sophia Loren was nude in the shower scene with him, he said, "Well, yes and no. I can say it was pretty spectacular."

I can't describe the feeling one gets from watching this - we see a real, gentle human being that even someone as sharp-tongued as Lauren Bacall was crazy about. At this point in America, we're going through such a time of turmoil - there was something about this documentary that made me feel that we, too, would go on. If only we could all go on the way Gregory Peck did.

Gregory Peck tells us his OWN story

[kijii · 10/10 · 6 November 2016]

In 1999, Gregory Peck was able to tour the country and make a series of "Conversations" with live audiences. He told stories (and anecdotes) about his own biography and members of his family. During his live conversations, he entertained questions from the audience. Questions ranged from personal questions to questions about his movies and his movie career that spanned more than 50 years (1944-1998).

Interspersed among these "conversations," the documentary shows many family gatherings and informal shots of Peck just enjoying his travels, friends, and family. Also included in this film are shots of him doing other interviews and guest shots over the years. It is clear that he was sharing (with an audience) his personal memories by making this documentary film.

---One question involved which scene was more scary to film—the swamp fight with Robert Mitchum in Cape Fear (1962) or being attack by the dogs in The Boys from Brazil (1978). His answer was that his most scary scene to film was when he was riding on a balloon-like replica of a whale in the Irish Sea for Moby Dick (1956)

Without doubt, his personal favorite of his films was To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) and he shares many memories about the making of that film. But, he also included comical comments (and entertained questions about) some of his less favorite movies too. (Of course, he was part of the editing of the final documentary, so we only see those shots he wanted to show us. However, this is a great film about an actor who started his career on stage for several years before moving it to the big screen in 1944.)

Personal experience attending this event.

[adamshl · 10/10 · 18 February 2020]

One of my cherished lifetime memories is that of attending "A Conversation with Gregory Peck" at the Front Row Theater in Cleveland, Ohio. The atmosphere in the theater was calm, peaceful, respectful and appreciative. The positive aura exuding from the speaker was reflected in the audience. Here was a kind and sensitive person onstage, sharing his life and career, coupled with an attentive audience taking in every word and loving this incredible human being.

Needless to say, this event is one of my most cherished live performances. Mr. Peck did indeed leave us with many memorable recollections, both on-screen and in person. A remarkable person and a truly fine actor.

Great Look at Peck

[Michael_Elliott · 13 March 2008]

Conversation with Gregory Peck, A (1999)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Very good documentary by Barbara Kopple (Wild Man Blues) that follows legend Gregory Peck on a tour where he answers questions from audience members. A lot of good questions are asked and answered by the star but the key point to this documentary is all the time it shows between Peck and his family. Many wonderful stories are told and you really get a sense that Peck was as remarkable in real life as he was on the screen. Martin Scorsese and Lauren Bacall are featured in small cameos as well. This is certainly a must see for any Peck fan.