Francis Ford Coppola Receives the 50th AFI Life Achievement Award

Yahoo

28-04-2025

On Saturday, April 26, the American Film Institute (AFI) presented Francis Ford Coppola with the 50th Life Achievement Award at a glitzy black-tie gala held at the Dolby Theatre that felt as starry as the Oscars.On hand to honor the filmmaker with tributes were colleagues, family and friends — including cinema icons such as Robert De Niro, Harrison Ford, Morgan Freeman, Dustin Hoffman, Ron Howard, Spike Lee, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Adam Driver, Al Pacino, C. Thomas Howell, Diane Lane and Ralph Macchio, plus family members Gia Coppola and Roman Coppola. "He takes his rightful place in the AFI pantheon. Ladies and gentleman, Francis Ford Coppola!" began Martin Scorsese in a pre-taped introductory video — prompting a standing ovation and view of the honoree, who was sitting at table with Lucas and Spielberg. Following a three-course dinner — of snap peas and Burrata, porcini-crusted N.Y. steak and a trio of cannolis, served with Coppola Wines and Wolfgang Puck breads — the program began with welcome remarks from AFI President and CEO Bob Gazzale."I have never, ever been in a movie written, directed or produced by Francis Ford Coppola," said Freeman — to laughter. "To say it another way, I have played God ... but never the Godfather. But I've been profoundly moved by his films, as you have."
Freeman received the 2011 AFI Life Achievement Award — which first honored John Ford upon its creation in 1973."When he was just 33, he produced a little film called American Graffiti — for me, that was the film that I acted in between Opie and Richie," said Howard, who recalled how the studio protested that the film was too long and unprofessional. "The film went on to take in well over 100 million dollars — which at the time, made it the most profitable ROI in Hollywood history. So that's a producer, and that's Francis Ford Coppola."Video clips also showed montages of Coppola's famed films, which he discusses during pre-taped interviews with his daughter, Oscar-winning filmmaker Sofia Coppola. During a look at The Godfather, Coppola says, "There's two factors that make actors very good. One is extreme intelligence, and the other is a natural, God-given talent. Pacino has both."
After that, Pacino took the stage with De Niro. "This is a quote from Francis Ford Coppola: 'The things you do when you're young that you get fired for are the same things that years later, they give you lifetime achievement awards,'" Pacino said, noting how how many of them were almost fired from The Godfather. "I got the closest, and Francis just fought for us, all the time. He fought for his film and his vision. Yet, it could have gotten him fired — every day."Pacino added, "Thanks for believing in me, even more than I believed in myself. I'm eternally grateful and honored to be part of your Godfather family." "Francis, thank you for not casting me in The Godfather," De Niro began. "It was the best job I ever never got. And it meant I was available for The Godfather Part II. Francis, you changed my career, you changed my life. We're all here tonight because of you. We love you."
Ford spoke of how he started out as a carpenter. "But I was determined to be an actor. And then I got lucky ... I landed a role in American Graffiti. And I didn't know then but I know it now — that's when I got made. I became a part of 'the family.' He'd just made a little movie called The Godfather, and he put me in his next film, called The Conversation. I didn't get the part I wanted; but I got a part." Ford went on: "After the film, I literally built something for Francis, because he hired me again as a carpenter. You likely know the story — George Lucas walks in one morning looking for Hans Solo, and I'm covered with sawdust wearing my tool belt, sweeping the floor. But the point is, that I'm here tonight because of the community Francis nurtured." After clips from 1993's The Outsiders, Macchio and Howell took the stage. "You look great!" Macchio said. "Coming from a man who doesn't age, I will accept that," Howell responded. "I'm sure there's a few of you wondering, 'When the hell did Ponyboy turn into Sam Elliott?'"
"We're here tonight to represent the Greasers," Macchio said. "We are here to say, on behalf of young actors everywhere, thank you, Francis, for believing in untested talent. You took a chance with a bunch of nobodies who became somebodies.""Who better to make a film about "the outsiders" than the outsider himself?" Howell said, before Macchio revealed that, as an exercise in class differences, back then, Coppola asked him to try to live on five dollars. Macchio told Coppola now that he'd put five dollars underneath the table centerpiece for him — as a symbol of his gratitude. (Coppola took it out and passed it on to Lucas.)Also present was the librarian from Fresno who'd written a letter to Coppola telling him how popular the book was among her students. "Stay gold, Francis," the woman, Jo Ellen, said upon being handed a mike.
The Outsiders' Diane Lane also reminisced. "While filming The Outsiders, we had Sundays off," she said. "But Francis and S.E. Hinton would use their Sundays in cahoots, writing a screenplay from her book Rumble Fish. There's no such thing as a day off for Francis. Finishing The Outsiders, Francis said let's keep going — let's use the same crew and the actors, and make another movie. And we did." 'And did I mention the pasta?" Lane said. "On special occasions, red and white table cloths, we'd all shamelessly vie for Francis's pasta — which was, and always will be, the best. You get the picture? It was a family and he was our papa.'His son Roman shared how Coppola gave him his start, with Bram Stoker's Dracula. He also shared his father's filmmaking tips: to create sensual experiences with the actors by bringing food and music; to sit right next to the camera so the actors feel like they're performing just for you. "He said that he doesn't feel he has any particular extraordinary talent," Roman said, "but he makes up for it by being willing to work relentlessly and keep putting effort in, despite whatever hardship."Dustin Hoffman then got up, and unraveled a piece of paper. "Francis, where are you?" Hoffman asked, grinning. 'Word has it that you've turned down a lot of these awards in the past, so thank you for accepting this tribute from the American Film Institute and for allowing those of us who've admired you for so long to gather and formally honor you.'Hoffman continued: 'You are what actors call an 'actor's director.' Having launched the careers of so many incredible actors, you not only saw their potential — you fought for them. You fought, fought, fought, fought for them. And it was early in your career when one's career depends on every choice you make that day. You did this at a time when you had no clout, just hutzpah, and taste and foresight. Where the studio wanted stars, you fought for actors. You fought for a young Al Pacino, a young Diane Keaton, a young Talia Shire, James Caan, and of course, in his very first movie, John Cazale, in one of the most memorable moments in film history. You took a chance on Diane Lane, on Nicholas Cage and the barely-known Laurence Fishburne, who was just 14 when he stepped onto the set of Apocalypse Now."Hoffman quipped, 'You gave the chance of a lifetime to so many young actors. Unfortunately, you waited until I was 86 to cast me in Megalopolis. It was well worth the wait.'Hoffman's Megalopolis co-star Driver followed him, calling Coppola "a theater director who brought his process to film and revolutionized how we think about cinema." Driver learned the best piece of direction he ever heard on that film: "Francis said to the room, 'We're not being brave enough.'"
Driver noted how Coppola had been trying to make it for over 45 years, and was spending $120 million of his own money to make it. "I'm mad if I spend $5 on a cup of coffee, and it's not hot enough!""You can take any section of Francis' work, open it up and find bravery," he continued. "This is a principled life, and for a year in our culture when the importance of the arts is minimized, and our industry is seemingly out in the open, that the only metric to judge a film's success is by how much money it makes — I hang on to individuals like Francis for inspiration, who live through their convictions, through big moves, all in service of pushing the medium forward.'
Coppola's granddaughter Gia also chimed in. "You've gotten a lot of achievements for your work — and you deserve all of them, and more," she said. "I think what attributes to all of this is because you're a great friend." After an orchestra set up on the stage, Josh Groban took the stage and performed a powerful rendition of "Brucia La Terra" from The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone.
"I didn't get accepted to AFI; I had an internship at Columbia Pictures," said Spike Lee. "That Friday in August, when Apocalypse opened, I was the first in line ... I still have my ticket stub. And that fucked me up! These helicopters! And then, later on, Laurence Fishburne told me he called you, 'The Father of Cinema.' ... You screened the uncut version of The Cotton Club for me. Thank you, Francis." Spielberg, recipient of the 23rd AFI Life Achievement Award, came up to honor Coppola's command "of this medium called film." "What I known about you — and I've known it since we first met in 1967, is that you are fearless," Spielberg said. "On one hand, you are a warrior for independent artists — you always champion their causes — but you're fearless in how open you are to opinions, ideas and inspiration."Spielberg recalled watching an early cut of Apocalypse Now — which was five hours long — after which, Coppola invited feedback from his peers. "I sat there in awe learning that leaving yourself open and searching was in fact your superpower.""That is what creates great films like The Conversation," Spielberg continued, "and The Godfather, which for me, is the greatest American film ever made."The camera cut to a shot of Coppola covering his face and then raising his eyebrows. "You have taken what came before and redefined the canon of American film, and in so doing, you've inspired a generation of storytellers who want to make you proud of your work ... and I always want to make you proud of my work. Thank you, Francis."
George Lucas, recipient of the 33rd AFI Life Achievement Award, said reporters kept asking him what he learned from Francis. "Well, he used to call me an 80-year-old kid when I as like, 22, and he taught me, 'Don't be afraid of jumping off cliffs.' And I've lived with that the rest of my life," Lucas said. "You're our hero, Francis — the first university cinema student to make it in the industry. ... You rounded up a bunch of young film students, gathered us together, we moved to San Francisco hoping to beat the system, and we did."Lucas continued: "We had no rules; we wrote them, and you [were] holding the pen. Thank you for creating an era of filmmakers who loved the movies." He then presented Coppola with the award.Coppola received a standing ovation as he came up to the stage. "Thank you so much — this obviously doesn't happen every day," he began. "I feel as if, after many years, I've returned to the old neighborhood where I grew up. And everything around me is so familiar, and yet, it's all changed."He went on: "There's a stoop where my family used to sit on hot summer nights and drink beer. ... And all my uncles, my aunts, still here, out there — some giving me a welcome wave or blowing me a kiss, what a pull on my heart! Faces I knew and loved — some I feared, some helpful and encouraging, and those I felt wronged me — but they had their own reasons, and I forgive them one and all, because I've learned that the only person really impossible to forgive is yourself."
"And now I understand, here, this place that created me — my home isn't really a place at all, but new friends, colleagues, teachers, playmates, family, neighbors," Coppola concluded. "All the beautiful faces are welcoming me back, because I am and will always be nothing more than one of you. So thank you so much."As they left, guests received an exclusive AFI commemorative tribute book about Coppola's career. The gala raised $2.5 million to support educational programs at the American Film Institute, a nonprofit organization.The televised special, The AFI Achievement Award: A Tribute to Francis Ford Coppola, will premiere on TNT on June 18 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, with an encore airing on TCM on July 31 at 8 pm ET/PT. This marks the 10th year the Emmy-winning AFI Life Achievement Award special will air on TNT.