Film legend Gene Hackman turns 85 today! In an excellent article this week, Grantland calls Hackman the greatest living American actor, and I am inclined to agree with them. He has appeared in 79 films and has always brought a common-man sensibility to his roles that is simultaneously relatable and admirable. He never looked like Warren Beatty or Robert Redford, or have the panache of Jack Nicholson or Robert DeNiro. And maybe that’s why he is better. He’s a guy from Illinois, with a jowly face and gravelly voice. Somehow, he is always someone we seem to know. He has played tough guys and funny guys, good guys and despicable guys. From his rebellious policeman Popeye Doyle to his dictatorial sheriff Little Bill, and from his Hollywood punching bag Harry Zimm to his campy criminal Lex Luthor, Hackman has shown range matched by few others. He is an enormous presence on screen, yet his most indelible moments seem to occur when he’s speaking most quietly. As a boy who grew up playing basketball in Indiana, Coach Norman Dale was someone all of us knew, and we implicitly understood his tough love approach on the court. Though he has now retired from acting, we can still hear that mischievous chuckle, see that broad-shouldered swagger, and remember how he was able to convince us that there’s more to this game than shooting--there’s fundamentals and defense. No one is more fundamental. Happy birthday, Gene.
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AuthorDr. Spivey is a college English professor and lives in Scottsdale, Arizona. Archives
October 2017
Movie Reviews |