LOS ANGELES — The 98th Academy Awards paid tribute Sunday to some of the film industry’s most iconic figures who passed away over the past year, with moving speeches and a video montage honoring their legacies.
Remembering Rob Reiner
Comedian and longtime Oscar host Billy Crystal eulogized director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, who died in December. Crystal highlighted Reiner’s celebrated films, including Stand by Me, The Princess Bride, and When Harry Met Sally, reflecting on their enduring impact.
“My friend Rob’s movies will last a lifetime, because they’re about what make us laugh and cry, and what we aspire to be,” Crystal said. He was joined by actors from Reiner’s films, including Christopher Guest and Michael McKean.
Honoring Diane Keaton
Rachel McAdams paid tribute to the late Diane Keaton, who passed away in October at 79. McAdams, who co-starred with Keaton in The Family Stone, called her an “icon” and celebrated her singular talent and influence on a generation of actors.
Keaton won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Annie Hall and received three more nominations for Reds, Marvin’s Room, and Something’s Gotta Give. McAdams delighted the audience by singing a Girl Scout song that Keaton often performed on set, symbolizing enduring friendship.
Remembering Robert Redford
Singer and actress Barbra Streisand honored Robert Redford, who died in September at 89. Streisand celebrated Redford’s multifaceted legacy as a director, actor, environmental advocate, and champion of emerging artists through his Sundance Institute in Utah.
“Bob had real backbone on and off the screen,” Streisand said. Redford won the Academy Award for Best Director for Ordinary People (1980) and received an Academy Honorary Award in 2002. Streisand concluded her tribute with a rendition of her classic song “The Way We Were,” paying homage to her on-screen partnership with Redford.
The In Memoriam segment also included a video montage honoring additional artists, filmmakers, and industry professionals who made lasting contributions to cinema, underscoring the enduring impact of these luminaries.
