Opinion: Remembering Gene Hackman

The actor Gene Hackman has died, at the age of 95. He was found this week in his home in Santa Fe, along with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, and a family dog. Authorities are still trying to figure out what happened.

Gene Hackman was long retired from Hollywood, but the characters he played in his four decade career will stick with us. It felt like he could turn himself into almost anyone.

He was a barbarous and riotous cop in The French Connection; a blunt-headed, bank robbing brother alongside Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde; a savage small-town sheriff in Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven; and a minister who leaps through flames to lead passengers to safety in The Poseidon Adventure, even as the man of God himself is left to dangle from a valve-wheel.

Gene Hackman played Superman’s arch-villain, Lex Luthor, with a comic glint. “There’s a strong streak of good in you, Superman,” he tells Christopher Reeve. “But then nobody’s perfect…”

You might see why Gene Hackman would try to find a life playing other people. His father used to beat him, and left the family when Gene was 13. At 16, he lied about his age and ran off to join the Marines.

“I just had to get out,” he once told the Los Angeles Times.

He played a son who looks back on a difficult relationship with his father in Robert Anderson’s I Never Sang For My Father, which Gene Hackman opens by saying, “Death ends a life, but it does not end a relationship, which struggles on in the survivor’s mind…”

He was friends with Dustin Hoffman when they were young actors at the Pasadena Playhouse in the 1950’s, and voted “the least likely to succeed.” Gene Hackman, of course, went on to win two Oscars, nine Golden Globes, and many other awards; his friend has done pretty well, too.

Gene Hackman leaves a lot of memories for us movie-goers. I think one that sinks most into me is in Hoosiers. He plays a strict basketball coach who spurs a small-town high school team to glory. But he sets aside all his macho bluster to tell them as they take the court for the last time, “I love you guys.”

You can feel how hard, and how necessary it is for that flinty coach to force himself to say that. Gene Hackman could utter just four simple words, and make a great film moment.

 

Transcript:

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

The actor Gene Hackman has died at the age of 95. He was found this week in his home in Santa Fe along with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, and a family dog. Authorities are still trying to figure out what happened.

Gene Hackman was long retired from films, but the characters he played in his four-decade career will stay with us. It felt like he could turn himself into almost anyone. He was a barbarous and riotous cop in “The French Connection,” a blunt-headed bank-robbing brother alongside Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway in “Bonnie And Clyde,” a savage small-town sheriff in Clint Eastwood’s “Unforgiven” and a minister who leaps through flames to lead passengers to safety in “The Poseidon Adventure,” even as the man of God himself is left to dangle from a valve wheel. Gene Hackman played Superman’s archvillain, Lex Luthor, with a comic glint. There’s a strong streak of good news, Superman, he tells Christopher Reeve, but then nobody’s perfect.

You might see why Gene Hackman would try to find a life playing other people. His father used to beat him and left the family when Gene was 13. At 16, he lied about his age and ran off to join the Marines. I just had to get out, he once told the Los Angeles Times. He played a son who looks back on a difficult relationship with his father in Robert Anderson’s “I Never Sang For My Father,” which Gene Hackman opens by saying death ends a life, but it does not end a relationship, which struggles on in the survivor’s mind.

He was friends with Dustin Hoffman when they were young actors at the Pasadena Playhouse in the 1950s and voted the least likely to succeed. Gene Hackman, of course, went on to win two Oscars, nine Golden Globes and many other awards. His friend has done pretty well, too.

Gene Hackman leaves a lot of memories for his movie-goers. I think one that sinks most into me is in “Hoosiers.” He plays a strict basketball coach who spurs a small-town high school team to glory, but he sets aside all his macho bluster to tell them as they take the court for the last time, I love you guys. You can feel how hard and how necessary it is for that flinty coach to force himself to say that. Gene Hackman could utter just four simple words and make a great film moment.

(SOUNDBITE OF ALLAH-LAS’ “HOUSTON”)

 

No historic museums were harmed in the making of this quiz. Can you score 11?

From brazen jewel heists to internet meltdowns, this week brought travesties galore.

It’s supposed to be payday for many federal workers. Instead, they’re getting nothing

Roughly 1.4 million federal workers are going without pay due to the government shutdown. About half of them are furloughed, while the other half has been deemed essential and is working without pay.

As strikes on alleged drug boats grow, so do questions about their legality and goal

President Trump says he has authority to carry out the strikes, but international experts are asking if the attacks are truly about countering narcotics or instead toppling Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro.

Not sure how to support a friend with cancer? Survivors have advice

To help a loved one with cancer, think about what you're good at — and what they need. Are you organized? Plan their meals. Detail-oriented? Go with them to appointments. Survivors share ideas.

Trump says he’s ending trade talks with Canada over TV ads

The abrupt announcement comes after Trump accused Canada of using a "fake" Ronald Reagan ad to sway U.S. courts, raising the stakes in an already tense trade dispute.

Trump administration finalizes plan to open pristine Alaska wildlife refuge to oil and gas drilling

The Trump administration has finalized a plan to open the coastal plain of Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas drilling, renewing long-simmering debate over whether to drill in one of the nation's most sensitive wilderness areas.

More Front Page Coverage