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Article: Birdman of jazz comes to screen via Dirty Harry
- Article from:
- Chicago Sun-Times
- Article date:
- May 29, 1988
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright (null) Chicago Sun-Times. (Hide copyright information)
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CANNES, France When it was announced that Forest Whitaker had won
the best actor award at this year's Cannes Film Festival, a big cheer
went up from the crowd. Whitaker was a popular winner, not only
because of his great performance as the doomed jazz legend Charlie
Parker in "Bird," but also because he brought so much warmth and
cheer to a role that could have been merely depressing.
Addicted to booze and heroin, Parker was so self-destructive
that when he died at age 34, the police report estimated his age at
65. Clint Eastwood's "Bird" doesn't shy away from that dark side of
Parker's life, but neither does Whitaker make Parker seem like a
negative, suicidal person. For as long as he ...