Robert Redford announced that The Old Man and the Gun would be his last movie. I thought this was an odd choice of a movie as Redford’s last acting gig. Redford plays a genial bank robber. Sometimes Redford uses Danny Glover and Tom Waits as assistants on his bigger heists. Redford meets Sissy Spacek (a rancher) and you think she might reform him. Casey Affleck is the cop hunting Redford down. The Old Man and the Gun meanders from stickup to stickup. I kept waiting for some magic to happen, but this languid movie just ends. Do you have a favorite Robert Redford movie? GRADE: C
The Buffalo News movie critic, Jeff Simon, generated a list of Robert Redford’s best movies. How many have you seen?
1. THE CANDIDATE (1972)
2. ALL IS LOST (2013)
3. ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN (1976)
4. DOWNHILL RACER (1969)
5. BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (1969)
6. THE WAY WE WERE (1973)
7. OUT OF AFRICA (1985)
8. THE ELECTRIC HORSEMAN (1979)
9. BAREFOOT IN THE PARK (1967)
10. THE STING (1073)
11. THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR (1975)
12. INSIDE DAISY CLOVER (1965)
13. THE NATURAL (1984)
14. A WALK IN THE WOODS (1012)
15. OUR SOULS AT NIGHT (2017)
I liked it a little bit more than you did but not one of Redford’s best. Out of the 15 on that list I have seen 14. Never heard of Our Souls at Night. I would take The Way We Were, Electric Horseman and Barefoot In the Park off this list and add on Sneakers, Tell Them Willie Boy is Here and Brubaker. My favorite is probably Butch Cassidy & the Sundance kid. But Downhill Racer is probably his best performance and Three days of the Condor the most fun. Always hated The Way We Were but than I can’t stand Barbra Streisand or the title song.
Steve, I’m with you on THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR (which is based on SIX DAYS OF THE CONDOR by James Grady).
I haven’t seen all of them—but of the ones I’ve seen, THE STING and BUTCH & SUNDANCE are favorites. IMHO, Redford is an actor with a somewhat limited range, so the surrounding elements have to be just right to make things work for him.
Deb, you are so right about Redford’s limitations. THE NATURAL was shot in Buffalo and shows both Redford’s strengths…and weaknesses.
I enjoyed the Hemingwayesque DOWNHILL RACER, and found THE GREAT GATSBY better than I expected.
Dan, I like DOWNHILL RACER, too. I have yet to see a good movie based on THE GREAT GATSBY.
Anyone who would rank the lugubrious OUT OF AFRICA ahead of THE STING loses my respect. I’ve seen most of them. I gave up on A WALK IN THE WOODS (a book I really enjoyed) after a few minutes. Terrible miscasting. And I haven’t seen this one (lousy reviews, no interest) or ALL IS LOST. Steve, I doubt you’d care for OUR SOULS AT NIGHT, a recent “aging couple romance” with Redford and Jane Fonda.
Jeff, I think BAREFOOT IN THE PARK is one of Redford’s under appreciated movies. Redford starred in the Broadway play and was talked into doing the movie (which he didn’t like). On Broadway, Redford shared the stage with Elizabeth Ashley. In the movie, Jane Fonda entered Redford’s life.
What Steve said pretty much. I don’t think he works as a romantic figure. Not sure why. My favorite is ALL THE PRESIDENT”S MEN. We just got out of three days in the hospital. Won’t be blogging for a while. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
I hope Phil feels better.
Jackie loves THE WAY WE WERE but I agree with you, I don’t think Redford works that well as a romantic figure. Maybe he just comes across as too self-contained.
I’d take ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN or BUTCH CASSIDY. I haven’t seen DOWNHILL RACER in 50 years or THE CANDIDATE in 40+.
Jeff, I wish Robert Redford did more comedic roles. Very astute comment on his “too self-contained” persona!
Patti, hope things are improving for you and Phil. ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN is a terrific movie!
Oh, Patti, I hope Phil is better soon! And I hope you’re coping and supporting. Our thoughts are with you both at this holiday time. Wishing you the very best Thanksgiving.
Got to go with “All the President’s Men” as the best movie Redford appeared in, although whether it’s the best “Robert Redford” movie is another matter. That might be “Butch Cassidy”. Also agree with George that “Barefoot in the Park” is underrated. I crack up every time I think of Mildred Natwick climbing those stairs.
Michael, there’s a lot going on in ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN and Robert Redford is only part of it. Same with BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID. But Redford pretty much carries BAREFOOT IN THE PARK.
This is a test to see what magic word WordPress won’t let me say:
Barefoot
Herb Edelman
Joan Van Ark
Judd Hirsch
Mike Nichols
Jeff, WORDPRESS drives me crazy with its AUTOCORRECT feature. It changes words willy-nilly as if it knows what the word should be better than I do! And, it’s WRONG a lot!
Now I really don’t understand it. It was about seeing the play in 1966-67. The original cast was long gone. We saw Van Ark in her Broadway debut.
Jeff, I have to recheck my blog posts because WORDPRESS AUTOCORRECT will change all kinds of words. Sometimes I miss what its doing and have to rely on you and Deb (and others) to give me a heads up on AUTOCORRECT’s shenanigans!
I saw it on my HS senior trip in the spring of 66. I remember Eileen Heckert was in it but not who else.
STING, CASSIDY, PRESIDENT’S MEN would probably be favorites. I’ve seen 3/4 or more of the list. I’ve liked Redford in most things, but not always the movies themselves.
Rick, good point. Redford has been in some weak films especially in recent years.
I think I have seen 10. Redford was far too old to play the lead in the baseball movie The Natural.
Kent, agreed.
I’ve seen most of the movies on the list, but a couple of my favorites are missing. Even though Legal Eagles was a flop at the box office, I enjoyed the movie. Spy Game was another one that I thought deserved some mention. My all time favorite is Redford’s first movie, War Hunt, where a young Redford portrays a soldier on the front lines in the Korean War. John Saxon is excellent as the psychopathic killer in the same company.
Michael, I haven’t seen WAR HUNT but after reading your comments I’ll track down a copy.