Robert Duvall has died

[tokyobreakfast]

He was very underrated in Falling Down, a sleeper of a film everyone should see at least once.

[StoneAndSky]

I don't remember it being a "sleeper"; I recall it stirring quite a bit of controversy at the time. It came out in the pre-Columbine "Going Postal" era. But agreed: it's worth a watch.

[Waterluvian]

Falling Down is a brilliant film. I think Duvall’s sober, gentle, unfazed detective is exactly what makes it work.

The entire movie D-FENS is running into people who trigger him or push back and justify his rage. So the whole time you’re rooting for him. He’s the protagonist! And then you get to the end and the detective just doesn’t give him the same response. But you never worry that Duvall is about to be a victim. And I think it’s very difficult to portray a character who is seasoned, gentle, grandfatherly, but doesn’t come off in the slightest as prey.

The movie is a bit of a gut punch because I think it does encourage you to cheer for him sticking it to The Man and the Nazis and the corporations, only to realize ,alongside Douglas, that “I’m the bad guy?”

[hearsathought]

If we are talking underrated films he was in, my choice would be Deep Impact.

[Markoff]

I wanted to write RIP Prendergast, but since you mentioned it I put it here, whole movie flew under radar, masterpiece.

[SirFatty]

Like the other sleeper, Apocalypse Now. :-D

[helterskelter]

Don't forget Network.

[stronglikedan]

> sleeper

Obligatory, I do not think it means what you think it means.

When that film first debuted, you couldn't throw a rock without hitting someone who knew of it.

[ZoomZoomZoom]

Don't know about the States, but across the pond from there, THX 1138 is not as well known as it probably deserves. I hope the public here can appreciate this Sci-Fi movie and Duvall is great there.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/THX_1138

[jhbadger]

It's known over here (to the degree that it is at all) for being the source of the THX name that Lucas later used for his digital sound system. But the movie is interesting in itself as an early pre-fame Lucas movie.

[michaelsbradley]

The Apostle is worth watching and rewatching; written and directed by, and starring, and financed by, Duvall.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Apostle

[pepa65]

I was going to say this, love The Apostle, very few people have seen it.

[jaybrendansmith]

Agree. That film really stuck with me.

[partiallypro]

He has too many great films to list, but one I really like that is lesser by him known nowadays is "Secondhand Lions."

[robertcope]

Agreed, absolutely fantastic movie.

[seanalltogether]

My dad was a big fan of westerns, so Lonesome Dove was a big deal in our house when I was a kid. Sometimes I think about showing them to my son, but I know there's no way he'll have the patience to sit through it all. I'm worried that I might not have the patience either anymore.

[Steve6]

I recently read the book for the first time. Fantastic story! The best western I've ever read. Then I watched the miniseries with my wife (also for the first time). Westerns aren't her favorite, but she loved it too. Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones were incredible, the whole cast did a great job, and the costumes and scenery were beautiful. We still make jokes about "We don't rent pigs." :)

We only watched season 1 because that's the one based on the original Lonesome Dove book. They make some changes, but generally only one that makes the show easier to follow. I'd highly recommend anyone to watch it. If you stick with only season 1 it tells a complete story and it's not too long of a commitment. It has everything.

RIP Duvall. You've had many roles, but this is the one I'll remember you for.

[brightball]

He was a huge Clemson fan.

https://www.tigernet.com/clemson-football/story/legendary-ac...

[toomuchtodo]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Duvall

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000380/

[fillmore]

RIP. I think the last thing I saw him in was Widows.

I logged in to share this Robert Duvall-adjacent story, which got a chuckle from me at the time (read to the end):

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/08/65-year-old-woma...

[stephc_int13]

Sad that even obituaries are written by AI these days...

[CharlesW]

These are written years in advance. It's vanishingly unlikely that this was AI-generated or AI-edited.

[beej71]

No kidding. He deserves better.

[sgt]

RIP Duval - he inspired me, like he inspired many others. I can't explain why, but his demeanour and sensibility. Recently watched Open Range. Need to watch more of his westerns.

[ReptileMan]

RIP Duval - he inspired me too. Recently watched Apocalypse Now.

[serf]

everyone is mentioning a movie they remembered or liked his performance in, and the first one that sprang to mind for me, for whatever reason, was Gone in Sixty Seconds.

It's a terrible corny movie (and an even worse remake), but i'm a car person and i'm from the city it takes place in, so it's hard not to like it.

He plays the surrogate-father-figure/sorta-reformed-chop-shopper, and he's wholly authentic. He reminded me of every machine shop owner i've ever met.

[mbowcut2]

Loved him in Secondhand Lions.

[5555624]

"Atchley do you realize that several Marines were killed by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor while taking craps?" "No, sir." "A fighting man must be vigilant to surprise attack no matter where he is. The survival of our nation depends on the readiness of Marines all over the world. Also more importantly, you only wiped yourself twice - grossly insufficient. Right now, germs with names you can't even pronounce are preparing to launch a devastating attack that will render you helpless in the defense of your country... Do you read me?" (The Great Santini)

[pdonis]

Classic. I also love the scene where he tells the squadron of which he's just become CO that they should think of him as God.

[justin66]

Peculiar to think he was already forty when THX 1138 came out, 55 (!) years ago.

[wolvoleo]

He was so brilliant in apocalypse now <3 His character was so delightfully insane.

The helicopters begging for his surfboard was so funny too. That was just his voice but it means he set up the character so well.

[NickC25]

Thank you for your work, Don Hagen.

[Rapzid]

> Life is short. Shorter for some than others. -Gus

He had a good run.

[smallmouth]

"Napalm, son. Nothing else in the world smells like that. I love the smell of napalm in the morning. You know, one time we had a hill bombed for 12 hours. When it was all over, I walked up. We didn't find one of 'em, not one stinkin' d*k body. The smell, you know that gasoline smell? The whole hill. Smelled like... victory. Someday, this war's gonna end."

[markus_zhang]

Jeez I thought he was long gone. The family will remember your service, Mr. Hagen.

[bdcravens]

He's one of those actors that if you told me he was dead, I wouldn't have been surprised, but then you go to the theater and in some random role, there he is.

[ChrisArchitect]

NYT obit: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/16/movies/robert-duvall-dead...

[dang]

Thanks - we've switched to that from https://www.newsweek.com/entertainment/hollywood-legend-robe... above.

[xqcgrek2]

why do people venerate actors?

[asveikau]

People see them on the screen so often they think they know them. I guess the term "parasocial relationship" has been common in the last few years to describe this.

I guess for actors and other types of artist specifically, people relate strongly to the work. It can form the basis for life memories. You remember where you were when you heard a song or saw a movie.

[Rooster61]

Because the service they render brings joy and entertainment to a large multitude of people. It is a higher visibility job than most, and is largely an individual contribution in and of the service they provide

[slibhb]

Why do people like fictional narrative so much? I'm not sure why, other than some platitude like "forming narratives is how people understand the world". But I'm not sure why it follows that fictional narratives are so important to us.

[curiousObject]

Actors express the human condition, and that’s more difficult than you think.

To pretend to be a person that you are not, on demand, for months on end, is hard and it demands great empathy and skill.

[bdcravens]

The same reason they venerate anyone: common positive experiences.

[browningstreet]

Because they became part of our stories through performance and iterations. We experienced their work.

[beej71]

They don't, in particular. They venerate people who have done amazing things.

[bubblewand]

Very-publicly doing work that lots of people enjoy tends to have that effect.

[paulcole]

why do people venerate computer scientists?