William Hurt (1950-2022)

[therewillbeblus]

If you're looking for a great underseen film of his, check out the 2001 Canadian comedy Rare Birds

Thanks for the rec, beamish, as I likely wouldn't have checked this out without your praise. It's a quaint, small-scale comedy; one that's charming and kind, with idiosyncratic dashes of amusement taking precedent over big laughs. The tone was reminiscent of Bill Forsyth's communal atmospheres and gentle relationship dynamics that feel effortlessly created, though distinctly Canadian rather than Scottish- from the temperaments and scenery down to the music. Plus, as an amateur birder who attends outings with experts, I enjoyed that piece of the plot- even if it was almost completely unexplored.

[Murdoch]

William Hurt always had a quiet brilliance to his acting. Dark City and Broadcast News are films of his that have been fixtures throughout my life, and Hurt's presence in both is a large reason for that. His general calm demeanor and the understated manner of his performances always captivated me. He had a presence to him, especially in his 80s/90s heyday, that to me was unmatched by his contemporaries. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what it was about him, but I was always more interested in a movie after discovering he was in it. He was never over-the-top or attention-seeking, he could merely stand in a scene and command attention. I always felt drawn to him when he was on-screen, regardless of what stage it was of his career. A huge loss.