While there were plenty of laughs as George Clooney was given the Chaplin Award from Film at Lincoln Center, the serious side of him ultimately took over in the home stretch of Monday night’s gala.
“On a night like tonight, with all of you here in this venue, I can’t just ignore what’s going on in the country,” he said in accepting the career honor. “I disagree with everything this administration stands for but there’s no place for this kind of violence that we saw two nights ago in Washington. DC. Nor is there room for violence in Minnesota … or anywhere else in this country.”
The capacity crowd at Alice Tully Hall applauded as Clooney tiptoed along the line, but he never crossed it. Since Saturday night’s shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, a momentary bipartisan moment of shared anxiety has quickly descended into partisan rancor. President Donald Trump has blamed Democrats for inflaming tensions and, ultimately, motivating the wave of political violence that generated the third attempt on his life over the past two years.
“The struggle has to be won against hatred and corruption and cruelty, violence,” Clooney said. “And it is a struggle for the soul of this republic. … We as citizens, what are we to do? And it is in that answer that all of us – left, right and center – can build a more perfect union, heal our wounds and begin to truly make America great again.”
Woven together with 40 minutes of footage, stretching from Clooney’s corny early TV turns to later success in ER and celebrated and Oscar-decorated films, the night offered ample opportunities for reminiscing.
Presenters like Julianna Margulies, who played Clooney’s romantic interest on ER; John Turturro, whose character was chained to Clooney’s in O Brother, Where Art Thou?; and Sam Rockwell, who was cast by Clooney as the lead in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, took turns telling stories. Matt Damon, who has made six films with Clooney appeared in a jokey video message to kick off the night, explaining that a prior pickleball obligation prevented him from attending in person.
Appearing at the end of the ceremony, Clooney thanked the presenters and offered a few tales of his own. He copped to riding a bicycle to auditions, as producing partner Grant Heslov had noted with astonishment earlier in the evening.
One of those treks, Clooney recalled, was to Paramount, for an unsuccessful bid for a part on Family Ties. While unlocking his bike on the way off the lot, he came across a distraught industry colleague having a meltdown over car trouble that had him stranded.
“He was on a payphone – remember those?” Clooney said. “He was at Paramount, couldn’t get over the hill to Warner Bros. – remember that?” When the audience roared at his nod to the pending Warner-Paramount merger, he deflected, “It’s a joke….”
CBS late-night host Stephen Colbert, who welcomed Clooney as his first guest when he debuted on The Late Show, took part in the tribute.
Colbert offered praise for Good Night. And, Good Luck, which Clooney starred in and directed as a film and later brought to Broadway in an adaptation. “It’s the story of the courage and the integrity of CBS News anchor Edward R. Murrow, standing up to fearmongering propaganda despite intense governmental and corporate pressure,” Colbert said. Two decades later, he added, with tongue firmly in cheek, “this inspiring film has now been seen by millions around the world, and hopefully, someday, by CBS.”
