I was sad to hear of Robert Redford’s passing yesterday. Growing up, he was one of my favorite actors, mainly because he starred in a few of my favorite movies. They’re films that still hold a place on my best of all time list. I wanted to take a minute to highlight a few in particular:
The Sting is a fantastic movie. The soundtrack, the plot, the acting, the premise. It’s superb from start to finish, and I’ve seen it many (many) times. For many years, no summer trip to my family’s cabin was complete without watching the movie with as many people as we could cram into the room. Redford was (for me) the epitome of cool in that movie. His transformation from a street conman to someone trying to take on much wealthier people was fun to watch, and his chemistry with Paul Newman was great. It’s #117 on IMDB’s all time best list, and it won 7 Oscars. Anyone who hasn’t seen it already is in for a real treat.
Likewise, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is right up there, though I get why some might balk at the ending. It teamed up Newman and Redford and Hill (the Sting’s director) four years before, and it’s written by William Goldman (the author of The Princess Bride). It takes real finesse to be able to make two outlaws come across as charming and likable as this movie manages, and it nabbed 4 Oscars. A unique take on the Western.
The Natural is my favorite sports movie of all time. It’s a great baseball movie, and a great film, period. Redford plays the title character, and the movie is adapted from the book by Bernard Malamud (which is a great book, as well, though the endings of the two pieces can’t be more different.) It’s funny, inspiring, thrilling, and engaging. It’s got an excellent plot, and is just plain fun to watch.
Sneakers is perhaps more of a deep cut for Redford, especially compared to the other films I just listed. That said, I loved it when it came out in theaters and still think it stands up to a rewatch today. It’s got a twisty turny plot, just like I like, and a cast of characters that work really well together.
This isn’t to say these are the only good Redford movies out there (Jeremiah Johnson, All the President’s Men, Spy Game, River Runs Through It, Out of Africa, A Bridge Too Far, Three Days of the Condor all deserve a shout out, and there are still good movies I haven’t mentioned). Rather, these are the four that have really stuck with me. If you haven’t seen them all, I encourage you to.