Robert Redford - the Ultimate Man Muse

When Margaret was a little girl, Betty, her mom was swooning over Robert Redford when The Natural came out. I guess Margaret had never seen her mom swoon over anyone. She said with disgust, you think he’s cute? And she said, well, yes, basically everyone on God’s green earth does. Margaret rolled her eyes. Betty said, well, who do you think is cute? And She said, well, um, hello: Daddy (as seen below)!!

So, Margaret and Sarah and Winnie and yes, everyone on God’s green earth does agree: Robert Redford is and was cute. RIP to Bob Redford. We loved watching you grow old gracefully out of the public eye. Ole Wikipedia had some lovely information on our boy: "During his career, Redford was often described as a sex symbol, particularly during the 1970s. The BBC called his appeal "all-American good looks that couldn't be ignored". The Associated Press noted Redford's "wavy blond hair and boyish grin made him the most desired of leading men" during the height of his career. However, Redford himself rejected the label of being a sex symbol. In a 1974 interview with The New York Times, Redford responded to his image as a symbol by saying "I never thought of myself as a glamorous guy, a handsome guy, any of that stuff. Suddenly, there's this image...Glamour image can be a real handicap. It is crap."

Following Redford's death, an obituary published in Variety remarked that he "became a godfather for independent film as founder of the Sundance Film Institute", that "as a movie star in his prime, few could touch him" and that "in his '70s heyday, few actors possessed Redford's star wattage".  Writing for The Guardian, Andrew Pulver characterized Redford as a "giant of American cinema" and "one of the defining movie stars of the 1970s, crossing with ease between the Hollywood New Wave and the mainstream film industry". The Los Angeles Times remembered Redford as a "generational icon". In France, Culture Minister Rachida Dati praised him as "a giant of American cinema".

The New York Times noted that Redford's films were known for depicting serious topics such as corruption and grief that "[resonated] with the masses", as he wanted his films to carry "cultural weight", and that Redford took "risks by exploring dark and challenging material". He was hailed as one of "few truly iconic screen figures of the past half-century" and as "Hollywood's Golden Boy" by The Hollywood Reporter. Filmmaker Ron Howard praised Redford and his work, calling him "a tremendously influential cultural figure" and an "artistic gamechanger". His creation of the Sundance Film Festival was credited as a "boost [to] independent film-making". After being awarded The Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016, The Salt Lake Tribune called Redford's Sundance Film Festival a "catalyst for an explosion of independent films".

Time noted Redford's environmental activism, calling him "fiercely dedicated to pushing for a world that was habitable for all" while also mentioning that the Redford Foundation helped support environmentally friendly filmmaking. His environmental awareness led to Fox News remembering Redford as a "Hollywood icon" that "committed himself to being a good steward of the environmental movement and a champion of the American Southwest". In 2016, then-President Barack Obama called Redford "one of the foremost conservationists of our generation". So long Bob, we love you our ultimate man muse besides our dad!!  Speaking of men, stay tuned something launching very soon for the menfolk!