I am another Canadian mourning the passing of Donald Sutherland.

When celebrities pass we may sometimes feel the loss more keenly than would seem reasonable for a stranger. I never met him even though I saw many of his films. I think the passing of a star sometimes hurts so much because their work is so much a part of our lives.

I am again muttering darkly to myself, because of course Donald Sutherland was never even nominated for an Academy Award. Yes yes he got an honorary statuette but for me that doesn’t count, not for recognition by peers. Sutherland was a gifted performer but perhaps because he didn’t look like he was “acting” (in quotes because I want you to hear me speaking the word with an implicit sneer on my face), he wasn’t recognized.

If you don’t look like you’re “acting” (sneered again) surely you’re doing it right.

I’ve eagerly read what others have said, noticing the roles that people name as favourites.

One reads through his IMDB listing, recalling roles, visualizing scenes.

Here’s the scene that came to mind as I recalled Donald Sutherland, likely the one I will always have in mind.

I mention this one because of how extraordinary this short scene is in one of my favourite movies, Oliver Stone’s JFK (1991), a film featuring several scenes that I think of as career best performances: Gary Oldman as Lee Harvey Oswald, John Candy as Dean Andrews, Joe Pesci as David Ferrie, Tommy Lee Jones as Clay Shaw, and especially Donald Sutherland as X.

The thing about this scene is that we’re hearing an eyewitness observer who must have integrity, must be believable. More than anyone else in this film, Stone leans on Donald Sutherland to create X in this scene. X is like Deep Throat except of course this is fictionalized.

I find I trust this speech as though it were true, an amazing delivery of a remarkable speech. In a real sense Stone has decided to make X the conscience of America, a witness to what went wrong and a reliable commentator on a conspiracy. Maybe upon closer observation one doesn’t believe it? But I listen to Donald Sutherland and I am completely persuaded.

And Stone also gets a big assist from John Williams underscoring this speech.

I will circle back to review Klute, Ordinary People, 1900, Start the Revolution Without Me, Kelly’s Heroes. We watched M*A*S*H just last week, Casanova is on the DVR already. Animal House? Six Degrees of Separation..?

As I glance through the listing on IMDB it’s a bit awe-inspiring how many roles in different genres, things I’d forgotten.

Oh yes he’s the father in Pride & Prejudice (2005), I think I recall at least one scene shot with him sitting down so that his imposing height wouldn’t disrupt the family dynamic, as sweetly smiling a Mr Bennet as one could want. And I see he had a small part in The Bedford Incident (1965), making me want to see that one again.

He’s gone of course, indecent that we are able to stare at his friendly face in so many roles, when his family has lost their patriarch.

It’s heart-rending to read Kiefer Sutherland’s tweet
“With a heavy heart, I tell you that my father, Donald Sutherland, has passed away. I personally think one of the most important actors in the history of film. Never daunted by a role, good, bad or ugly. He loved what he did and did what he loved, and one can never ask for more than that. A life well lived.“