Sydney Pollack 1934 - 2008

I was saddened last night to hear news of the death of a great director, producer, and actor.  Sydney Pollack was probably one of the most well respected and widely influential living filmmakers until his loss to cancer yesterday, and will be sorely missed by many people within the industry and thousands of fans who appreciated his work.  I like to remember him as the director of such great films as They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, Jeremiah Johnson, The Way We Were, The Yakuza, Three Days of the Condor, Tootsie, The Firm, The Interpreter, and of course his ultimate classic, 1985's best picture and best director winner Out of Africa.  Even more memorable in many ways was his ability to be convincing both behind and in front of the camera, as he also starred as a character actor or supporting character in many of his own films and scores of others as well.  You can catch him at his best on screen in Tootsie, The Player, The Majestic, The Interpreter, and Michael Clayton.  After taking time off as an actor to work on his directing, his first on screen role in 20 years was Tootsie.  Dustin Hoffman reportedly talked him into it by sending him roses with a note reading "Please be my agent. Love, Dorothy."  (If you've never seen Tootise by the way, you owe it to yourself to see it soon.)  He's fondly remembered by many of those he worked closely with, among them George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Dustin Hoffman, and Robert Redford (who made 7 films with the director).  Clooney has been quoted this morning as saying of his Michael Clayton co-star: "Sydney made the world a little better, movies a little better and even dinner a little better.  A tip of the hat to a class act."  In the past 11 months he discovered he had cancer and since that time, almost every big name in Hollywood took time out to go and visit him at his house.  He referred to himself as "Mr. Mainstream" and was once quoted as saying "I don't value a film I've enjoyed making.  If it's good, it's damned hard work."  That sort of hard work ethic not only characterized Sydney the man, but an entire slate of films he directed, produced, or starred in that defined a generation.  Rent Out of Africa or Tootsie this weekend and enjoy Sydney Pollack's great works for yourself.