Billy Crystal remembered his finest good friend Rob Reiner in an prolonged and emotional in memoriam on the Oscars on Sunday, with Barbra Streisand honoring her good friend and co-star Robert Redford by singing a snippet from their movie “The Way We Were.”
Crystal opened the section that was longer than typical due to the variety of Hollywood heavyweights who died over the past 12 months.
Crystal first met Reiner in 1975 when he guested on “All in the Family.”
“And it went so well, Rob said, ‘It was so much fun playing your best friend, why don’t we keep it going?’” Crystal said. “And it was a thrill seeing him evolve from a great comic actor to a master storyteller.”
Crystal recounted such Reiner movies as “The Princess Bride, ”When Harry Met Sally, “A Few Good Men,” “Say Anything,” and “This is Spinal Tap.” The section ended with over a dozen stars from these movies — together with Meg Ryan, Kiefer Sutherland, Fred Savage, Demi Moore, John Cusack and Ione Skye — standing collectively on stage.
Reiner, an actor-director, and his spouse, photographer Michelle Singer, each of their 70s, had been discovered stabbed to loss of life of their Los Angeles dwelling in final December. Their son, Nick Reiner, has been charged within the deaths of his mother and father and has pleaded not responsible.
At 83, Streisand has largely retired from touring and reside performances as a result of her well-known stage fright.
For Redford’s reminiscence, she made an exception.
“He was a brilliant, subtle actor,” she stated. “We had a wonderful time playing off each other because we never knew what the other was going to do or say.”
Streisand described Redford as “thoughtful and bold,” saying, “I known as him an mental cowboy who blazed his personal path.”
She highlighted his historical past of defending press freedom, defending the atmosphere and inspiring new voices in movie by means of his founding of the Sundance Institute in Utah.
“Bob had real backbone on and off the screen,” she stated.
Redford died in September at age 89. He gained a finest director Oscar for “Ordinary People.” He and Streisand made one film collectively, “The Way We Were,” in 1973.
“I miss him now more than ever, even though he loved teasing me,” she stated. “He called me Babs. I’d say, ‘Bob, do I look like a Babs?’”
They had been chatting on the telephone and as they ready to hold up, Redford informed her, “Babs, I love you dearly, and I always will,” she stated.
Streisand stated, “The last note I ever wrote to Bob, I ended it with I love you, too. I signed it, Babs.”
The Oscar orchestra swelled as a photograph of Redford crammed the large display screen.
Standing behind a podium, together with her personal conductor within the aisle, Streisand picked up a mic and sang, “So it’s the laughter we will remember whenever we remember the way we were.” She obtained a standing ovation.
Lyricist Alan Bergman, who co-wrote “The Way We Were” theme and died final 12 months, was proven within the section.
Among others included had been Robert Duvall and Catherine O’Hara.
Rachel McAdams paid tribute to ladies who died, singling out Diane Keaton.
“Believe me when I say there is an actress of my generation who was not inspired by and enthralled with her absolute singularity,” she stated.
McAdams recited a Girl Scout track and poem Keaton used to say on movie units:
“Make new associates, however preserve the outdated.
One is silver, the opposite is gold.
A circle is spherical, it has no finish.
That’s how lengthy, I might be your good friend.”
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