In Memoriam 2023: Alan Arkin (1934–2023) Tribute List

Alan Arkin – American actor, comedian, director, producer, author, screenwriter, and singer – plied his art deftly for eight decades, which began by co-writing Harry Belafonte's famous "The Banana Boat Song." Arkin's early career spanned a wide spectrum: from an original Second City role to his Tony-nominated Best Direction of a Play for Neil Simon's The Sunshine Boys. His nearly seven dozen film credits are highlighted by The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming, Wait Until Dark, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Catch-22, The In-Laws, Edward Scissorhands, Little Miss Sunshine, Get Smart, and Argo. Arkin's illustrious screen, stage, and television career garnered an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, two SAG Awards, and a Tony Award. This tribute is based on Arkin's movie quotes and biographical articles.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. animosity
    a feeling of ill will arousing active hostility
    Lieutenant Rozanov: Very clever little boy. Very, very clever, to see that my friend and I are foreigners here, but of course not Russian, naturally. What would the Russians be doing on United States of America island, with so many animosities and hatreds between these two countries? It is too funny an idea, is it not? No, we, we are of course...Norwegians. On a small training exercise for the Nyaato countries—
    – The Russians are Coming, the Russians are Coming
  2. responsibility
    the trait of being answerable to someone for something
    Lieutenant Rozanov: Remark to this, Whittaker Walt. We must have boat. Even now may be too late. This is your island, I make your responsibility you help us get boat quickly, otherwise there is World War III, and everybody is blaming YOU!
    – The Russians are Coming, the Russians are Coming
  3. negotiate
    discuss the terms of an arrangement
    Roat: I cannot negotiate in an atmosphere of mistrust.
    – Wait Until Dark
  4. combat
    an engagement fought between two military forces
    Dr. "Doc" Daneeka: Sure. Catch-22. Anyone who wants to get out of combat isn't really crazy, so I can't ground him.
    Yossarian: Ok, let me see if I've got this straight. In order to be grounded, I've got to be crazy. And I must be crazy to keep flying. But if I ask to be grounded, that means I'm not crazy anymore, and I have to keep flying.
    – Catch-22
  5. recognize
    perceive to be something or something you can identify
    Yossarian: They'll never recognize me without my uniform.
    – Catch-22
  6. reason
    a logical motive for a belief or action
    Sheldon: There's no reason to shoot at me, I'm a dentist.
    – The In-laws
  7. rare
    especially good, remarkable, or superlative
    Shmendrick: It's a very rare person who is taken for what he truly is.
    – The Last Unicorn
  8. ethics
    motivation based on ideas of right and wrong
    Bill: Okay, a little ethics. You are walking down the street. You find a suitcase full of money. There's nobody around. No human person is in evidence. What do you do? (A) You keep the money. (B) You use it to buy gifts for your friends and your loved ones. (C) You give it to the poor. (D) You turn it into the police.
    – Edward Scissorhands
  9. debris
    the remains of something that has been destroyed
    Peevy [reading the paper]: "Film fans were saddened by the news that actor Neville Sinclair was killed in a tragedy when flaming debris fell on his touring car." That's terrible! That was a nice car.
    – The Rocketeer
  10. opportunity
    a possibility from a favorable combination of circumstances
    Wellness Guide: This letter, Edward, is a very important part of the healing process. By writing to your mother, you afford yourself the opportunity to thank her, or forgive her, or to ask her why she did the things she did. Now we don't mail the letter, but the simple act of putting it on paper frees you, allows you to let go.
    – America's Sweethearts
  11. farce
    a comedy characterized by broad satire
    Lester Siegel: We made history today. "History starts out as farce and ends up as tragedy."
    – Argo
  12. hilarious
    extremely funny; causing laughter
    He also directed the original version of Neil Simon's hilarious smash, "The Sunshine Boys" (1972), which ran over 500 performances.
    – IMDb
  13. debut
    the act of beginning something new
    Arkin earned his first Academy Award nomination as Best Actor for his feature acting debut in a comedy The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming (1966), by director Norman Jewison, co-starring as Lt. Rozanov, a Soviet submariner who is mistaken for a spy after his boat accidentally wrecks aground in New England.
    – IMDb
  14. landmark
    an event marking an important historical change of course
    His landmark role came when he was cast as the anxious bombardier Yossarian in Mike Nichols's film of Joseph Heller's Catch-22. The New York Times critic Vincent Canby summed up Arkin's appeal: "[He] is not a comedian; he is a deadly serious actor, but because he projects intelligence with such monomaniacal intensity, he is both funny and heroic at the same time."
    – The Guardian
  15. guild
    a formal association of people with similar interests
    Arkin has continued to have great success into the 2000s, particularly with the films Argo (with fellow Second City alum Richard Kind), which earned him an Oscar nomination and was awarded Best Picture, and Little Miss Sunshine (co-starring Steve Carell), which won Arkin a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award, a BAFTA, an Independent Spirit Award, and the Screen Actors Guild Award.
    – The Second City
  16. indelible
    not able to be forgotten, removed, or erased
    Alan Arkin etched many indelible performances over his long career in movies....Arkin, who died on June 29 at the age of 89, played an extraordinary range of roles with great gusto.
    – Variety
  17. gusto
    vigorous and enthusiastic enjoyment
    Alan Arkin etched many indelible performances over his long career in movies....Arkin, who died on June 29 at the age of 89, played an extraordinary range of roles with great gusto.
    – Variety
  18. nominate
    propose as a candidate for some honor
    Most recently, Arkin was was nominated for Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG awards for his comedic turn in the Netflix series "The Kominsky Method."
    – CNN
Created on Wed Jul 05 20:45:09 EDT 2023 (updated Mon Jul 10 09:30:54 EDT 2023)

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