Norman Jewison Could (and Did) Do It AllThere are contortionists who can’t fold themselves into as many different shapes as the late Moonstruck director did during his career.
American Cinema’s Looking-Glass PrinceNo one played an emotionally stunted protagonist out of step with the world around him as well as the late Ryan O’Neal.
ByBilge Ebiri
remembrance
Listening to Andre Braugher“When he acted, the words were notes; the sentences, lyrics; every monologue, an aria.”
ByMatt Zoller Seitz
remembrance
Norman Lear’s TruthHe depicted the American experiment, one family at a time.
Matthew Perry Couldn’t Be Boxed InAs the jokester who wears snarkiness as emotional armor, Chandler stole every Friends scene — even ones where he was theoretically absent.
A Hollywood Director PossessedWilliam Friedkin made movies like The Exorcist and Sorcerer his way, no matter what changes transformed his industry.
ByMatt Zoller Seitz
remembrance
The Eyes of Angus CloudHe did not seem “of” Euphoria. Yet somehow that made him the most believable actor on the show and one of the most distinctive on TV.
Al Jaffee’s Snappy, Not So Stupid MAD LegacyMAD’s longest-serving cartoonist invented a way to do something unusual: turn a pulp-magazine page into an animated, interactive feature.
Bob McGrath Set the ExampleFor 47 years, the Sesame Street actor radiated the warmth and acceptance many young viewers would’ve never received otherwise.
ByMatt Zoller Seitz
remembrance
Christine McVie’s Perfect VoiceShe was Fleetwood Mac’s most reliable songwriter, but the ache in her voice was just as important as her words.
Takeoff Was the GlueIt’s beyond shocking seeing tragedy strike a group that forced fair-weather listeners and staunch old-heads alike to appreciate the craft.
Everyone Has Their Own GodardFor all his godlike splendor, there is no other filmmaker over whom so many people can claim ownership, each in their own distinct manner.