David Lindquist

david.lindquist@indystar.com

Robert Downey Jr. refers to "The Judge" as the type of movie he grew up wanting to make.

Known for action-packed turns as Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes, Downey changes pace by portraying a Chicago defense attorney who confronts the past in his rural Indiana hometown.

The A-list actor made a surprise visit to Indianapolis on Saturday, when Heartland Film presented an advance screening of "The Judge."

Downey said the film is partly influenced by "The Verdict" — a 1982 showcase for Paul Newman as a lawyer battling long odds in a medical malpractice case.

"It felt like the trial was about his soul," Downey said of Newman and "The Verdict." "Nowadays, that kind of story wouldn't make any money or garner much attention. It just wouldn't be good business. But I thought a really entertaining film that had elements of 'Terms of Endearment' or 'The Verdict' or 'Rain Man' ... What is it about this movie's very small story that feels so accessible and strangely commercial? The last thing I want to do is make passion projects for 20 people to see."

Downey's challenge is to mobilize paying customers for a movie based on an estranged father (portrayed by Robert Duvall) and son (Downey). Heartland, an organization with a declared mission "to inspire filmmakers and audiences through the transformative power of film," is a logical place to generate buzz.

"The Judge" opens in theaters Oct. 10. This year's Heartland Film Festival begins Oct. 16.

Downey, the highest paid actor in Hollywood, is well aware that "small" stories often get lost in the shuffle of superhero blockbusters.

"I'm part of the problem," he said with a laugh.

The "Iron Man" aura goes everywhere with Downey, who collected $50 million for his participation in 2012 film "The Avengers."

He glided into the theater at AMC Castleton 14 to gasps and applause from a capacity audience of 300 who expected a Q&A session with "The Judge" director David Dobkin — but not an appearance from playboy billionaire Tony Stark.

Downey initially joked that he was lost en route to Awesome Con, an event that brought "Batman" TV stars Adam West and Burt Ward to Indianapolis this weekend.

But the 49-year-old is logging serious miles to promote "The Judge," which he co-produced with his wife, Susan, who's in Southern California expecting the November birth of the couple's daughter.

Downey made himself at home in Indiana, where he highlighted a branch of extended family. Susan's brother, Richard Levin, is the longtime boyfriend of Francie Berns, an Indianapolis native and IU graduate who's the vice president of film advertising for The Los Angeles Times.

Downey greeted members of the Berns family at the screening, and the actor showed off a Colts Super Bowl ring on loan from his friend Scott Gorman, a Zionsville resident who formerly worked in the team's front office.

Gorman accompanied Downey during an evening meal at the 82nd Street Harry & Izzy's. The party also included director Dobkin and three generations of a prominent Hoosier family: Hendricks County Circuit Court judge Jeffrey Boles, Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Doug Boles, and Doug's pre-teen son, Carter.

Downey chatted with Jeffrey about law, and the actor asked Carter about school. When Doug received a call from his wife, Beth, Downey asked for the phone and chatted with her.

The biggest laugh of the night arrived at the theater, where an audience member asked Downey about what it was like to portray an attorney in "The Judge."

"It was certainly nice to be on that side of things," replied the actor, who in his 30s spent time in the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison after a succession of drug-related arrests.

Downey's era of sobriety coincides with a bold and unprecedented professional comeback. The current issue of Vanity Fair magazine commends the actor for the "greatest third act in Hollywood history."

Second chances and redemption are prominent themes of "The Judge."

Duvall's Joseph Palmer is a straight-laced judge who won't forgive the rebellious adolescence of his son, Hank (Downey). Fictional Carlinville, intended to be near the Hoosier National Forest in Southern Indiana, inspires a mountain of resentment in Hank.

"If we seek to understand the person or the situation we have conflict with, we're going to realize their point of view is absolutely valid," Downey said. "They've usually sacrificed more or struggled more than we think they have."

More Indiana connections are found in an upcoming project for Robert and Susan Downey's production company, Team Downey.

"Yucatan" is based on a yet-to-be-filmed story by Steve McQueen, the late Hollywood icon who was born in Beech Grove and lived hardscrabble pre-teen years in Indianapolis.

Downey mentioned McQueen's tradition of requesting blue jeans in various sizes from wardrobe departments every time he made a film. The actor sent the pants to Boys Republic, a California home for problem children that counted McQueen among its alumni.

"There was this constant sense of wanting to do that typical Midwestern thing, which is, 'I want to make sure that people know that my success is their success. If I can do it, trust me, you can do it,' " Downey said of McQueen.

Hank Palmer eventually realizes what it means to be a caretaker in "The Judge." One impressive scene features Downey's character assisting Duvall's character in a humbling moment of need.

Downey cites a scene in which Hank realizes he's named for a lawyer his father respected as "a most decent man" as one of his favorites.

"It's that idea of transcending your persona and just being the best human being you can be," Downey said. "Your only legacy is, 'Are you pure of heart or not?' All that other stuff is going to fade. Sooner or later, all the money is going and you will fade into history."

Call Star reporter David Lindquist at (317) 444-6404. Follow him on Twitter: @317Lindquist.