Birthdays, at the Top of the Hour

Personal idol Holly Hunter turns 48 today, while mid-80s heartthrob and recent Oscar nominee William Hurt turns 56. No one who reads this site even casually has any doubt about how best to celebrate Holly's genius, but Hurt, as oddball as his stardom and persona might seem in retrospect, was no slouch, either, in his heyday. Obviously, the perfect way to fête both actors is to savor their above-the-title collaboration in Broadcast News, one of the best romantic comedies of the 1980s and unquestionably the biggest plume in James L. Brooks' directorial hat. If you already know the plot and the terrific dialogue by heart, cast an eye toward the photography: easy to overlook in such character-driven movies, but subtly inspired work for famous d.p. Michael Ballhaus (Goodfellas, Bram Stoker's Dracula, The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant).

Otherwise, William Hurt's best unheralded performance is in Carl Franklin's affecting One True Thing. Hunter, however well-known, is still under-recognized as one of our greatest and most surprisingly versatile actresses. She's a jewel in Home for the Holidays, in Jesus' Son, in Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her, in Thirteen, in the newly released Nine Lives, and even in films that even she can't fully rescue, like the moribund and perversely misnamed Levity. All hail, sincerest thanks, happy birthday, and call me soon, Holly!