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Alan Arkin, the longtime celebrated actor, who won an Oscar for his performance in “Little Miss Sunshine” and earned two Emmy nominations for “The Kominsky Method”, has died. He was 89.

Arkin’s death was confirmed to People by his sons, Adam, Matthew and Anthony, in a statement, saying, “Our father was a uniquely talented force of nature, both as an artist and a man. A loving husband, father, grand and great grandfather, he was adored and will be deeply missed.”

A man who wore many hats, Arkin was an actor, director and screenwriter whose career spanned over six decades.

While primarily known for his screen work, he first broke out on Broadway in New York City. He received a Tony Award for his second performance in 1963’s Enter Laughing. A decade later, he was nominated for another Tony Award, this time for directing the 1973 play The Sunshine Boys.

During that time,...

This Alan Arkin-Peter Falk show is finally being recognized as a comedy mini-masterpiece. Afraid of offending his daughter's future father-in-law, a dentist is sucked into a nightmare of crime and jeopardy, as a jolly Chinese airline whisks him away to a rendezvous with danger in a Latin American dictatorship. It's a gem of sustained mirth. The In-Laws Blu-ray The Criterion Collection 823 1979 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 103 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date July 5, 2016 / 39.95 Starring Peter Falk, Alan Arkin, Richard Libertini, Nancy Dussault, Penny Peyser, Arlene Golonka, Michael Lembeck, Paul Lawrence Smith, Ed Begley Jr., James Hong, Barbara Dana, David Paymer. Cinematography David M. Walsh Film Editor Robert E. Swink Original Music John Morris Written by Andrew Bergman Produced by Arthur Miller, William Sackheim Directed by Arthur Hiller

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

Good grief, I had no idea that Albert Brooks and Michael Douglas remade this movie back in...

Anybody who has taken an acting class has likely looked at the instructor and wondered, "What if the tables were turned? How would I be as the one devising the improvisations and coaching students through scenes?"Such thoughts get self-censored for various reasons. Even actors with extensive experience and knowledge sometimes feel unworthy to teach a class. Others may feel that if they were to pursue teaching, it would interfere with their performing career—perhaps even signaling defeat. After all, the maxim "Those who can't do, teach" has been repeated so many times that people tend to believe it. But teaching acting doesn't necessarily mean giving up on acting.Back Stage spoke with five actors who have incorporated teaching or coaching into their working lives. They shared how they came to be teachers, how they've grown in the classroom or studio, and how they balance the twin parts of their work.

It's so rare to find a film that offers juicy roles for veteran (i.e. old) actors that one goes in rooting for Raising Flagg. Alan Arkin, who won a long-overdue Oscar for Little Miss Sunshine, tops a cast that includes his former wife, Barbara Dana, as well as Austin Pendleton and Clifton James in vivid portrayals. The codgers are a pleasure to behold, though the movie lets them down.

Flagg begins with a legal battle between Arkin's Flagg Purdy and Pendleton's Gus Falk over water rights in a small town in Oregon that stirs up long-simmering resentments. Having violated the air of neighborliness in the town, Flagg is quickly ostracized by his fellow residents. Feeling slighted, he takes to his bed and declares that he is dying. He sends for all of his grown children, and they descend on the family homestead to reopen old wounds.

Most of the confrontations play out tepidly and predictably. There isn't much drama at stake in the children struggling to win their father's approval, partly because his original sins don't seem all that dastardly; he neglected to take one son fishing, for example. So the conflicts are easily overcome. Because much of the action takes place in the old man's bedroom, one wonders if Flagg might have been more effective as a play. It unfolds too statically under Neal Miller's direction.

Given the inherent limitations of the material, all of the actors work diligently and quite effectively. Arkin's son Matthew demonstrates some of his father's warmth in the role of an itinerant minister. Dana gives a multidimensional performance as Flagg's long-suffering but flinty wife, while Pendleton and James have fun with their roles as Flagg's onetime cronies. Glenne Headly, Lauren Holly, Richard Kind and Vana O'Brien contribute deft portrayals. Papa Arkin is a joy to watch. Even when he's lying prone on his "deathbed," he manages to find a self-conscious wheeze that is quite droll. He highlights the character's cantankerousness while also revealing the man's hidden intelligence and decency.

Erich Roland's striking cinematography would register even more strongly if the movie spent a little more time outdoors. The town is skillfully evoked by production designer David Sicotte. Flagg turns out to be a specialty item with a very limited audience, which is a shame given the superlative acting on display.

RAISING FLAGG

Cinema Libre Studio

A Rubicon Film Prods. and Oregon Creative production

Credits:

Director: Neal Miller

Screenwriters: Neal Miller, Nancy Miller, Dorothy Velasco

Based on the story by: John D. Weaver

Producers: Neal Miller, Nancy Miller

Director of photography: Erich Roland

Production designer: David Sicotte

Music: Alan Barcus, Les Hooper

Costume designer: Ron Leamon

Editors: Paul J. Coyne, Ken Morrisey

Cast:

Flagg Purdy: Alan Arkin

Ada Purdy: Barbara Dana

Ann Marie Purdy: Glenne Headly

Rachel Purdy: Lauren Holly

Gus Falk: Austin Pendleton

Bill Reed: Richard Kind

Travis Purdy: Daniel Quinn

Eldon Purdy: Matthew Arkin

Jenny Purdy: Stephanie Lemelin

Linette Purdy: Dawn Maxey

Aunt Edith: Vana O'Brien

Running time -- 102 minutes

MPAA rating: PG-13...