Caffeinated Clint
Lisa gets up close to ‘Scarface’
AL PACINO AT THE 35th AFI LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS IN HOLLYWOOD
– By Lisa Carroll
Thursday night at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, Al Pacino got an offer he couldn’t refuse.
The offer was the American Film Institute’s Life Achievement Award, something that Pacino was more than happy to accept. The audience at the Kodak consisted of two thousand people, including celebrities such as Samuel L. Jackson, Sir Howard Stringer, Oliver Stone, Chris O’Donnell, Gabrielle Anwar, Ed Harris, George Avnet and many others.
There were also clips from some of Pacino’s most famous films; the “Godfather” series, “Dog Day Afternoon,” “Serpico,” “Sea of Love,” “Scent of a Woman” and “Scarface.”
Robin Williams, who worked with Pacino in the film “Insommia,” opened the awards evening by saying “the man sitting there looks like the Last Supper’s Date by Armani,” and “if you put Robert DeNiro in the dryer, you get Al Pacino!” Williams also led the crowd in shouting “Attica! Attica!” a phrase from the film “Dog Day Afternoon.”
Sean Connery then took the stage, saying “I know what you are all thinking – ‘What the hell is he doing here?’” (in reference to the award he received last year).
“It says something about movies that a young boy in Edinburgh (Connery) and a young boy in the Bronx (Pacino) could wish upon the same star,” added Connery.
Jamie Foxx was also lavish in praise, saying “When God made you, he took a 30 minute break and said, ‘That was a good one!’”
Added Oliver Stone, “Good night to the bad guy – we’ll never see another bad guy like that again!”
Kirk Douglas then came on to tell of the time when he was in New York over 45 years ago and “was dragged by a friend to see a play. I came awake when a young actor came onstage; he was magic and he hypnotized the audience. I went backstage and I said, “Mr. Pacino, you are going to be a star!”
Douglas paused, and then added “What took you so long?” much applause.
Winona Ryder, who starred with Pacino in “Looking for Richard,” related “he really did teach me that work is the reward.”
Looking at Pacino, she said “just know, I would give my kingdom, my kingdom, to be wooed by you again.”
Andy Garcia, who worked with Pacino on “The Godfather III,” was one of the more descriptive hosts of the evening, as he related how Pacino had been such an inspiration to him.
Addressing Pacino, Garcia said emotionally “you took me in like I was your own son.”
“You’re Van Gogh, you’re Modigliani, that’s who you are. You are simultaneously a poet and clown, and you definitely should be institutionalized!” said Garcia.
Sean Penn then presented the award to a visibly emotional Pacino.
“I have one question: why aren’t I in rehab?” he joked.
“I have to talk about some of the things that got me here; I was at the Actors Studio and Lee Strasberg watched me do an acting scene. Then he said to the class, ‘See? We take all kinds here!’
Then I had to go to California to audition for the Godfather, and I didn’t want to fly. But Marty Bregman (Pacino’s manager) tied me to his wrist and gave me a bottle of Sneaky Pete. We flew to California and I got the ‘Godfather’!”
Pacino also related how hard Francis Ford Coppola fought for him to be cast in the Godfather as well.
“I scratch my head everyday, I don’t know how any of this happened…! Well, I’m still here…I’m still standing here, aren’t I?” he said to the crowd, who rose and gave him a standing ovation.
