‘Extremely Talented’ Filmmaker Richard Donner Known for ‘Superman’ Dies

After hearing that Filmmaker Richard Donner passed away, Director Kevin Smith tweeted, “Thanks for all the flicks, Dick.” The 91-year-old filmmaker died in Los Angeles, according to a spokesperson for the family.

His career spanned 60 years, and he seemed to move easily between genres from horror to comedy. A lengthy Twitter conversation centered around his well-known films; “Omen” in 1975, “Superman” in 1978, and “Goonies” in 1985.

Based on the tributes, Donner was affectionately respected by the people he met. He was thanked for his determination to make Superman look as though he was really flying. In addition, they commented that the “Lethal Weapon” movie revamped the buddy cop storyline.

Sean Astin fondly remembered the “Goonies” director as having “the biggest, boomiest voice” and laughter. He wrote, “What I perceived in him, as a 12-year-old kid, is that he cared. I love how much he cared.” His caring showed up in his films, some of them dealing with difficult topics like suicide and mental and physical disabilities.

Donner handled a failed suicide in the 1980 film about a man left disabled after a failed suicide attempt — “Inside Moves.” The main character befriends several other differently-abled folks at a neighborhood dive. The IMDb rating is 7.2/10, with 1.6 providing their opinion.

In “Conspiracy Theory,” he dealt with another type of mental illness. The 1997 summer hit Mel Gibson lives in a fantasy world filled with conspiracies. Unfortunately, one of his theories turns out to be true, but to save himself, he must figure out which of his theories is right— Julia Roberts co-stars in the thriller.

Donner is survived by his wife, Lauren Shuler Donner, whom he met when filming “Ladyhawke” in 1985. The circumstances surrounding his death were not disclosed.

Written by Cathy Milne-Ware

Sources:

The Mercury News: Filmmaker Richard Donner, of ‘Superman,’ ‘Goonies’ fame, dead at 91; by Lindsey Bahr|Associated Press
USA Today: Richard Donner, iconic director of ‘Superman,’ ‘Goonies,’ and ‘Lethal Weapon,’ dies at 91; by Brian Alexander
Showbiz Cheatsheet: ‘Lethal Weapon’ and ‘Superman’ Director Richard Donner’s 3 Most Underrated Movies; Fred Topal
IMDb: Richard Donner

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