I have lost count about the number of times that I have said that one could not get made today THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR. It was a film involving the CIA, murders, running from the CIA and such that was not idiotic. It had a great script, was a splendid romantic film, had great romantic leads (Redford and Dunaway), didn't have a sappy happy ever after ending, and so forth and so on. Compare that film with a CIA film of today and just gag. I will also never forget his totally adult portrayal of the straying, middle-aged husband in HUSBANDS & WIVES or his hilarious turn in TOOTSIE plus his making of TOOTSIE. Pollack did a great body of work, both behind and in front of the camera, plus brought out the best in what we now consider A list actors. That he had some not so hot stuff on his resume in recent years may have more to do with what audiences want than what he wanted to really make (cross reference this to the big box office currently for what is widely admitted to be the horrendous embarrassment of INDIANA JONES). Even with this sad movie climate, he did manage a totally adult and realistic portrayal in MICHAEL CLAYTON so went out on another high note. carol

that some posters here don't fall off of curbs. Their noses are so far up in the air, they couldn't possibly see where they are going. Films often stir the soul or the heart; are they art? Who cares? For many years, Pollack did his best (well, mostly) both behind the scenes and in front of the camera to make people think, laugh and cry.

Those who find him too lowly to spend time on sure are wasting a lot of it posting crap here...

So many of these letters -- and especially Stephanie Zacharek's essay -- rang true for me. Pollack's directing career may have been sometimes disappointing, if only because he hit the mark so well and memorably with "Africa" and "Tootsie" and "Absence" But when it came to performing, all the qualities that you guessed you recognized in his directing - his generous but disciplined way with actors, for example - came through all the time. No matter who he played, you believed him. I can't think of a performance of his I was ever disappointed in and several that still give me pleasure to remember. HIs Tootsie performance, of course, but here are a few more - the suavely corrupt head of the law firm in the under-rated "Changing Lanes;" A layered, believable and finally stunning performance. And for sheer hilarity, the emergency room doctor in the otherwise ghastly "Death Becomes Her" -- the way he called Goldie Hawn & Meryl Streep "kids," and his refusal to go over the top with his gradual discovery of their "problem." It seems odd to say, given the awe in which we hold directors, that while his legacy may not survive as well as others, it's also true that no actor -- and certainly no actor-director - brought more to a movie than he did when he was in front of the camera.

This is an article and a bunch of letters appreciating a guy who made some great, entertaining movies and who often made mediocre work better by his presence (although not even he could save the clusterfuck that is EWS). So where the fuck are the righteous rants about retardation and butterflies coming from? It's an obit - nice things will be said, and Zacharek pointed out that he did make some clunkers.

Neil Simon makes my teeth hurt - he's the Precious Momements of writer/directors. Sydney was waaaay better.

I'm very surprised that Ms Zacharek didn't mention Jerimahia Johnson, one of Sydney pollack's older movies with Robert Redford. It was a simple story of a man going up to the Rocky mountains and becoming a mountain man. The wonderful characters he met along the way, the marvelous cinematography, the whole look and feel of the film makes it still one of my favorites along with the music. Every once in a while it's on tv and I watch it each time and see something different.

Because movies are movies and art is art. Let's not get too too far ahead of ourselves here in the land of TV reviews that go on for 9 weeks about BSG, Lost and Buffy the Vampire slayer. Pollack was a good enough workman in his craft a long time ago. I mean when Neil Simon dies is anyone going to care about anything he's done in the last 20-25 years? Nope.

Wow you can type.

I remember perking up considerably during this French movie when Sidney Pollack showed up as himself trying to cast a movie about Simone de Beauvoir. It was just a small part in a subplot, but it made me have confidence that my two hours weren't going to be wasted.

And I agree with the person who said Husbands and Wives was actually a pretty good movie. Stephanie Zacharek likes to describe every Woody Allen movie as awful, but there's a world of difference between Husbands and Wives and, say, Anything Else.

This is really a sad loss. I just watched Michael Clayton over the weekend, and was amazed again by Sydneys perfomance. And, being an alltime SK fan, I have to say that Pollack saved Eyes Wide Shut for me. He will be missed.

...you've read your Paradise Lost. Or at least the Cliff Notes. How impressive.

My question to Electro Robot would be why are you so angry on a letters thread about Sidney Pollack? Isn't there someplace else you can go and be venomous where it's at least relevant? Here are a bunch of people talking about a man who has died who we admire and you're doing all this crazy name calling. You hate Salon readers so much the obvious solution to that would be to avoid Salon. I hate myself for writing this letter because I really don't want to engage you, but could you possibly think about what you're doing and maybe stop? We don't go looking for you. I really don't care why you do what you do. I also realize that by asking you to quit, you have power over me and you don't have to quit or go away, but can just get meaner, but you know when you quit beating your head against the wall it feels really, really good.