RIP Sydney Pollack

A veteran filmmaker has left us: Sydney Pollack has passed away at 73.

As a director, Pollack was known for “message movies” and was nominated for several Oscars. He won the Academy Award for OUT OF AFRICA, one of numerous collaborations with Robert Redford that also included THE ELECTRIC HORSEMAN and one of my all-time favorite films, THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR. Over the course of his prolific career, Pollack covered the bases from comedy (TOOTSIE) to romance (THE WAY WE WERE) to western (JEREMIAH JOHNSON) to international crime (THE YAKUZA) to modern thriller (THE FIRM).

Pollack got his start as an actor, which he occasionally continued as recently as MICHAEL CLAYTON and MADE OF HONOR — both of which are also on his lengthy filmography as a producer. Behind the camera, his most recent projects included directing the documentary SKETCHES OF FRANK GEHRY and producing the HBO film RECOUNT, the Anna Paquin drama MARGARET, and the adaptation of the war romance THE READER (currently in production).

So long Sydney, you will be missed.