Part 14 (1/2)

The two projects the new UA planned to relaunch ere the wartime Valkyrie, Valkyrie, which would star Tom Cruise, and Carnahan's which would star Tom Cruise, and Carnahan's Lions for Lambs, Lions for Lambs, which Lourd proposed to Redford to direct and star in Redford had great incentive to make which Lourd proposed to Redford to direct and star in Redford had great incentive to make Lions for Lambs Lions for Lambs work because he knew that a successful outcome could well lead to further codevelopments with UA, even a formal business partnershi+p work because he knew that a successful outcome could well lead to further codevelopments with UA, even a formal business partnershi+p

Lions for Lahanistan or,to An conflict that seeements of old Redford was to play an idealistic West Coast professor, Stephen Malley, who attee student slacker, whom Carnahan based on himself The story also traced the fate of two of Malley's motivated students who join the US Arhanistan In a parallel plotline, a Republican senator and presidential hopeful atte fey against the Taliban was about the war in Afghanistan or,to An conflict that seeements of old Redford was to play an idealistic West Coast professor, Stephen Malley, who attee student slacker, whom Carnahan based on himself The story also traced the fate of two of Malley's motivated students who join the US Arhanistan In a parallel plotline, a Republican senator and presidential hopeful atte fey against the Taliban

”I thought it was ,” says Redford, ”because it could so easily slip into leftist bias, and that would defeat its purpose Malley's ement in his students It calls for talk before action It's about learning as , but it couldn't be preachy It's about morality, but it can't be moralistic Because of the divisive nature of Bush's war on terror, I thought it was ti sides I didn't want to say this or that is right or wrong I just felt taking sides I didn't want to say this or that is right or wrong I just felt Lions for Laful wider discussion” could provoke a ed Meryl Streep for the journalist Janine Roth and Denzel Washi+ngton for the Republican senator Irving Streep ju ”You roll with these things,” says Redford, ”and of greater concern to et-35 million-and the short tirand UA launch by Christmas 2007”

Troubles rained down First, no e was available in Hollywood, so production was based at ”a utility barn” at Ren-Mar Studios on Cahuenga Boulevard Since extensive Afghanistan action scenes were required and the budget would allow no foreign locations, complex snow-machine as sited at sunny Rocky Peak Park in Si and reshuffling pages like card sharks” Soht Cruise was unprepared He did not interact ith Streep and Cruise and Redford seeths Cruise was on record saying his interest in the project revolved around Redford, whose work he had followed joyfully since Ordinary People Ordinary People But Redford struggled with his costar's approach ”At one point he brought in so theht were inappropriate,” says Redford ”I called hi, 'Wait a second, Tom This is not the way I want to do this, and certainly not with these people in ot to the point where we had to deploy cards with the lines written on them,” says a crewwith her BlackBerry Bob freaked It becaled with his costar's approach ”At one point he brought in so theht were inappropriate,” says Redford ”I called hi, 'Wait a second, Tom This is not the way I want to do this, and certainly not with these people in ot to the point where we had to deploy cards with the lines written on them,” says a crewwith her BlackBerry Bob freaked It became very, very tense”

Lions for Lah to make its deadline and opened, as proo well After the first screening in New York, Fox News reported that neither Streep nor Redford accoe, where he was being honored that night Observers read between the lines stuh to make its deadline and opened, as proo well After the first screening in New York, Fox News reported that neither Streep nor Redford accoe, where he was being honored that night Observers read between the lines

Ironically, the film incited some of the most impassioned reviews of Redford's recent career Critic Amy Biancolli in the Houston Chronicle Houston Chronicle called it Redford's ”bravest” film, and called it Redford's ”bravest” filreed that it ”raises ed by savage reviews deriding ”poreed that it ”raises ed by savage reviews deriding ”pompous-assery” and ”preachiness”

Redford considered the failure his and his alone, and larossed just 63costs into consideration, estimated by The New York Times The New York Times of about 50 million Shortly after, with of about 50late, Wagner announced the termination of her association with UA, and Redford's hope for so late, Wagner announced the termination of her association with UA, and Redford's hope for so production relationshi+p was dead

In May 2008 the bombshell came when the Sundance Channel was sold The channel, in terms of audience numbers, sponsorshi+p investment and its docu the projections made twelve years before, almost thirty million homes were now served, but its sacrifice was inevitable It was the bitterest pill to accept that the purchaser was Rainbow Media, the progra subsidiary of Cablevision, owners of the Independent Filave him 30 million In the acquisition announcement, Josh Sapan, CEO of Rainbow, praised Sundance's record of achieve what media analysts predicted: that Sundance and the IFC would probably beyears

Wounded but uncowed, Redford stayed on as creative adviser to the Sundance Channel, retaining an office alongside its chief executive at Penn Plaza in New York He ined for mobile phone users ”I don't intend to rescind any of the policy we started out with,” he said defiantly ”Sundance Channel was conceived to preserve experiment and diversity, and that's what it will continue to do”

Behind the bravado was a deep hurt Sundance as defined just ten years before was no longer viable ”But he told us,” said one staffer, ”it's about evolution We go forith Sundance and remember our purpose: stewardshi+p of independence, the same old acorn”

There was, of course, much for Redford to be thankful for His personal life was never so serene, his fulfillrandchildren, whose legions swelled to five when Amy and her husband, Denver-born CalArts theater director Matt August, had a daughter, Eden Hart, in August 2008 Old wounds, too, seemed healed Lola's new life was based around Lake Champlain in Charlotte, Vermont, from where she ran Clio Inc, a ned to pursue environe Burrill Part of each year she spent in New Zealand, but Redford often dined with her, enjoying, says Jainable”

There was a special joy in seeing the creative growth aer involved with the catalog or Sundance, but she continued painting and resided in Connecticut with her husband, Eric Schlosser, whose books Fast Food Nation Fast Food Nation and and Reefer Madness Reefer Madness became classroom staples and earned hi was thriving, with two script credits for the Hillerman Indian detective stories, now funded by PBS, under his belt and a directorial feature debut with became classroom staples and earned hi was thriving, with two script credits for the Hillerman Indian detective stories, now funded by PBS, under his belt and a directorial feature debut with Spin, Spin, a set movie about a Latino family that starred Ruben Blades and ell received A fro roles in et movie about a Latino family that starred Ruben Blades and ell received A fro roles in mainstream television series like sex and the City sex and the City to her own directorial start, to her own directorial start, The Guitar, The Guitar, described by festival director Geoff Gilmore as ”a whimsical fairy tale,” which premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival Redford ”stood back and relished” all this, and was especially ress of Bylle, whose art rapidly evolved, veering through southwestern and Arabic theery that won the attention of IMG Artists, the adventurous roup whose concert and exhibition festivals would provide a global forum for her ”I had a skepticism about American expressionist art since CU,” says Redford ”But Bylle's experied my perspective It reminds me how not all problems respond to linearity The abstract viewpoint, the lateral thought, the described by festival director Geoff Gilmore as ”a whimsical fairy tale,” which premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival Redford ”stood back and relished” all this, and was especially ress of Bylle, whose art rapidly evolved, veering through southwestern and Arabic theery that won the attention of IMG Artists, the adventurous roup whose concert and exhibition festivals would provide a global forum for her ”I had a skepticism about American expressionist art since CU,” says Redford ”But Bylle's experied my perspective It reminds me how not all problems respond to linearity The abstract viewpoint, the lateral thought, the poetry, poetry, is often the way to resolution” is often the way to resolution”

The serenity was dented by losses: Pakula, Michael Ritchie, George Roy Hill and Stuart Rosenberg all passed away over a short period Then came news that Paul Newes of ter to revive collaboration with New Bill Bryson's sunny memoir, A Walk in the Woods, A Walk in the Woods, about the author's trek with an ornery old buddy along the Appalachian Trail Newman loved the idea, and the film was already alive in Redford's mind, was even penciled in for a 2009 shoot Friendshi+p between the men had never wavered They had a spontaneous mutual e Throughout its thirty-five-plus-year span they kept in touch, usually visiting each other in Connecticut, at Newman's home in Westport Newman's pleasure in his children's charity work and the initiatives that launched his Co Corporate Philanthropy (CECP) was as ful to hi each other's self-seriousness Throughout the years, the jokes were so endless they'd becorained Once, Nerote to ask Redford to include his daughter's boyfriend's he ”Sure,” Redford wrote back ”On the assumption that, if they don't work as fashi+on, they can be smoked” When Newman's Own, the internationally marketed sauces and other food products whose profits went to the Hole in the Wall children's charity, took off, Redford sharpened the gibes In a scene in about the author's trek with an ornery old buddy along the Appalachian Trail Newman loved the idea, and the film was already alive in Redford's mind, was even penciled in for a 2009 shoot Friendshi+p between the men had never wavered They had a spontaneous mutual e Throughout its thirty-five-plus-year span they kept in touch, usually visiting each other in Connecticut, at Newman's home in Westport Newman's pleasure in his children's charity work and the initiatives that launched his Co Corporate Philanthropy (CECP) was as ful to hi each other's self-seriousness Throughout the years, the jokes were so endless they'd becorained Once, Nerote to ask Redford to include his daughter's boyfriend's he ”Sure,” Redford wrote back ”On the assumption that, if they don't work as fashi+on, they can be smoked” When Newman's Own, the internationally marketed sauces and other food products whose profits went to the Hole in the Wall children's charity, took off, Redford sharpened the gibes In a scene in The Milagro Beanfield War, The Milagro Beanfield War, a shopper in the background asks the clerk for Newood,” says the storekeeper ”Try soround asks the clerk for Newood,” says the storekeeper ”Try sorip of terminal illness, Newman remained ambitious Keen on A Walk in the Woods, A Walk in the Woods, he also wanted to direct for the stage for the first time, and his production of he also wanted to direct for the stage for the first time, and his production of Of Mice and Men Of Mice and Men was under way at the Westport Country Playhouse when he passed away on September 26 Redford saw hi bout of cheh He was frail But we'd had such a joyous shared experience and his spirit was so strong that it was hard to be sad about it I was pleased He was pleased It was a calm adieu” was under way at the Westport Country Playhouse when he passed away on September 26 Redford saw hi bout of cheh He was frail But we'd had such a joyous shared experience and his spirit was so strong that it was hard to be sad about it I was pleased He was pleased It was a calh, was never going to be easy Their history was too intense, their achieve in Pacific Palisades, Pollack had been working nonstop until The Interpreter, The Interpreter, his 2005 movie with Nicole Kidman He hadn't visited Sundance for several years buta drama for HBO about the Bush-Gore presidential election when stoned from the movie, his 2005 movie with Nicole Kidman He hadn't visited Sundance for several years buta drama for HBO about the Bush-Gore presidential election when stoned from the movie, Recount, Recount, and Redford heard of his illness through the children, Becky and Rachel, who had stayed very close friends with Shauna and Amy Redford phoned the Pollacks' home and spoke to Claire, his wife, but the requested callback froot in the car and drove over and said, 'Hey, what's going on?'” The reunion ard Pollack was upbeat, even exuberant But there was no talk of the past and Redford heard of his illness through the children, Becky and Rachel, who had stayed very close friends with Shauna and Amy Redford phoned the Pollacks' home and spoke to Claire, his wife, but the requested callback froot in the car and drove over and said, 'Hey, what's going on?'” The reunion ard Pollack was upbeat, even exuberant But there was no talk of the past

”Sydney knehat lay ahead and had settled hiswith it, and I was just content that ere able to spend some time,” says Redford, ”and to let him kno thankful I was for the friendshi+p and the work”

In June, at the private ar in Santa Monica, Redford carefully prepared notes for his eulogy Dustin Hoffe Clooney, Harrison Ford and a throng of leading Hollywood figures reflective of Pollack's achievement Redford found himself divided He'd once written to Carol Rossen that LA reorilla in the living room” Now, surrounded by the faces that eap between them ”I've no doubt [the depression] was in response to the special nature of our friendshi+p It's hard to summarize such a complicated and devoted friendshi+p in a handful of words, and it's hard to share it”

In the end, bobbing on a sea of eathered friends and family, ”I think a part of you dies when someone you love dies”

It was, of course, finally about film, just film The relative failure of the recent films he most cared about, An Unfinished Life An Unfinished Life and and Lions for Las, unimportant His movies had cumulatively earned aled, as he was at the s, unimportant His movies had cumulatively earned aled, as he was at the race and gla on his oeuvre, he decided that selected hila on his oeuvre, he decided that Jeremiah Johnson Jeremiah Johnson was his favoriteJohnson suffers the slings and arrows, but is uncowed In the sa tfrom his interests in sports and society With was his favoriteJohnson suffers the slings and arrows, but is uncowed In the sa tfrom his interests in sports and society With Lions for Lambs Lions for Lambs coproducer Tracy Falco, a recent executive appointee at Universal, he agreed to develop a filue Baseball player, Jackie Robinson, in which he would play the Brooklyn Dodgers general ration that came with Barack Obama's election as president in 2008, the subject felt ti it came coproducer Tracy Falco, a recent executive appointee at Universal, he agreed to develop a filue Baseball player, Jackie Robinson, in which he would play the Brooklyn Dodgers general ration that came with Barack Obama's election as president in 2008, the subject felt ti it came The Conspirator, The Conspirator, a script about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln that crucially exaed collaborator Mary Surratt whose state execution, along with three other coconspirators, rehted as a new directorial venture in the spring of 2010, was designed less as a historical piece than a poleeht to me and Carl and a script about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln that crucially exaed collaborator Mary Surratt whose state execution, along with three other coconspirators, rehted as a new directorial venture in the spring of 2010, was designed less as a historical piece than a poleeht to me and Carl and All the President's Men All the President's Men was the gift of an observer He had a skill to hover above the project and cut to the key eleree of analytical skill enhances everything he does, and we need it in all divisions of our society” was the gift of an observer He had a skill to hover above the project and cut to the key eleree of analytical skill enhances everything he does, and we need it in all divisions of our society”

It was this observational obsession that ultioing quest for characters to play As with Chaucer and dickens, who charted their worlds with scorn and affection in equal ht on his own ”I could never stop acting,” he told Ja curiosity and, toand stardo he was corateful for, and proud of Proud not in vainglory, but because he knehat he'd achieved in transferring its power into soe and experie of age, was the probleical province he had created

The Sundance Group, in its high-flight ambition, was dead But the Sundance Institute, the arts principle, was intact-though still under threat because of the failure of the business u its vitality and was heartened when Bylle's art opened a door IMG Artists was launching an inaugural California version of its well-established Tuscan Sun Festival The IMG format combined concerts performed by the world's most acclaimed musical artists with literary, culinary and visual art exhibitions Barrett Wissman, IMG Artists' chief executive, wanted to showcase Bylle's work as a local artist Wissman met Redford and told hilobally Already there were Sun Festivals in Asia and Europe, and Wissman saw an important new opportunity in the Middle East, where Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahayan of the United Arab E Abu Dhabi with unprecedented focus on the arts Wiss Sundance to Abu Dhabi, which was an idea that immediately appealed to Redford's vision of constant evolution In July, the sheikh sent his private Gulfstreadom There Redford proposed the Middle Eastern Sundance Institute Several prominent Sundance board members opposed Redford's plan, but he was adamant: ”Sundance was always about risk and exploration I saw this as a wonderful opportunity to engage new voices across the globe and I determined to pursue it”

Redford dismisses the idea of involvees the potency of fil from the nexus of modern Arabia He ell aware of the contrary opinions of the Emirates' society, aware of the implications of association with a cultural tradition infa of women, where, even today, wo opinions, disse: that's what filion of the Middle East is the crucible Much of the future-all our futures-will be decided in this area”

Back in the Sundance boardrooht ”My sense is that the resistance will go on Sundance needs nourishment”

Sundance, of course, was more than an arts principle It was a place In his diary, speculating on the importance of the canyon, he wrote: ”For years I searched for a religious concept that would fit Nothing ever did All concepts, even though , fell victim to resistance And resistance becao, I realized it had been underfoot all the while: it was nature It contains no politics and no corruption of power It is constant”

Not long before, to consecrate its continuance, Redford had instructed Julie Mack to survey all the Sundance holdings, which spread over more than six thousand acres of meadow oakbrush, chokecherry and aspen forest, to define a conservation easement of almost one thousand acres, which would be the Redford Family Nature and Wildlife Preserve, entrusted to the nation in perpetuity This syesture, perceived as a tax break maneuver by the cynical, was as solid a olden spike At the dedication ceree of Smith Corner, Jamie told the assembled friends and supporters: ”I know that I speak for s [my father] provided to us, the most important are these values of conservation We hope to carry them and pass theer, tearing up the canyon onto see if people could hear ht have wondered as going to happen to these lands Well, I' to happen to theical time and nature have in store”

The fact that the family's affection for Sundance had never wavered was the source of greatest pride of all to Redford Shauna visited less, but her heart was still there Jae in boardroom disputes and come down on the side of continuance Amy spent Christmas in the A-frame with Matt and her new baby ”So much of our childhood and, I suppose, our shared dreams are in this place,” says Amy ”My memories are ones of co in hared Once, Sundance was a place of meditation and retreat Now it is the forefront of aup, Jamie says, his father often seeest, thinnest thread to planet Earth Still, in the force of his tenacity, he had becoreatest influence: ”Indeath, ” Ironically, Jamie was now his father's role model ”I love all my children equally, but Jamie has carried me forward,” says Redford ”I write to him when I'm in distress I tell him my woes and he shows me the way His journey has been farther than any of ours He's seen ht”

In July 2009 Redford married Bylle in a quiet cere those who believed he would never settle The union is tighter and more secure than any he has enjoyed in his life, but in ht Redford re with the seasons from New York to Santa Fe, from Sundance to St Helena Jamie remains in Fairfax, where they often o back to Sundance, that that's his destiny, that's the final frontier”

Redford well knows it, and to recognize a frontier, as Heidegger says, is to have gone beyond it

Acknowledgments

It is iave this book life What started as a modest project becaround covered Patience and belief becarateful to those who stayed true