I Am Paul Walker, on CW

He could have had a career much like Steve McQueen’s had he lived longer. (especially given their affinity for cars). Yet, you cannot really compare him to James Dean , because he had many more films, but none of them will be remembered as a Giant-level classics. However, he was the face of the biggest original film franchise of the 21^st Century, so far. His death hit fans hard, because the Fast and Furious movies are all about “family,” so he makes a fitting subject for Adrian Buitenhuis’s documentary profile, I Am Paul Walker, which premieres Saturday on CW.

Walker was blessed with movie star looks that blossomed as he grew up as a surfer and athlete in California. Buitenhuis and company largely gloss over his Mormon upbringing, but they clearly establish the “family values” he embraced all his life. Indeed, probably 70% of the interview participants are members of the actual Walker family. We also hear extensively from Tyrese Gibson, part of his Fast family, who credits Walker for his return to the franchise.

Unlike what Buitenhuis had to work with for Burt Reynolds, Walker’s filmography does not offer a wealth of touchstone films beyond the Fast and Furious franchise. However, he talks at length with Rob Cohen, who directed Walker in The Skulls, which was something of a dramatic breakout for him and the original Fast and the Furious, which was a surprise monster hit at the time. Nobody mentions Takers, not even in passing, and his weird but amusing comedic turn in Pawn Shop Chronicles is maybe unfairly overlooked.

However, we get a very good sense of Walker as a family man and a philanthropically inclined private citizen. He was clearly devoted to the daughter he had with his longtime girlfriend, even though it is clear from the awkward context their relationship was a stormy one.

Indeed, Buitenhuis and the Walker family (notably including his mother, father, uncle, sister, and brothers) reveal much about the late actor that is admirable. In addition to Haitian earthquake relief, he supported shark research. He also greatly respected veterans, like his father and grandfather, which is why he appeared in Eastwood’s Flags of Our Fathers for scale. We will never know what sort of veteran-friendly projects he might have produced had he lived longer.

By their nature, Buitenhuis’s I Am… docs tend to end on a downer note, but that is especially true for Walker’s treatment. He may have lived a full life, as many of his friends suggest, but he also had much to live for. Yet, it is still edifying to hear about a movie star who was more decent and grounded than the typical celebrity airhead, which seems to be the case for Walker, as Buitenhuis and his talking heads present him. Recommended for fans, I Am Paul Walker airs Saturday night (1/13) on CW.