Matt Damon joins Robert Downey Jr. for the Gene Siskel Film Center's 50th anniversary celebration

There was double star power on stage for the Gene Siskel Film Center’s 50^th anniversary celebration last night, June 25, at the Center at 164 N. State. And, even though it was a virtual event, it was LIVE and oh-so exciting! The crowd filled two theaters for the presentation of the annual Renaissance Award, this year presented to actor Matt Damon by his friend Robert Downey, Jr., a past recipient.

During the hour-long convo, Downey called Damon “the most versatile actor of our generation”, “a national treasure” and “part of our collective consciousness.” Over a dozen clips of Damon’s films were shown including Ford vs. Ferrari, The Bourne Identity, Oceans 11, Contagion, The Departed (his “dream job offer”), The Martian (“the biggest hit I was ever in, bigger than Bourne!”), Behind the Candelabra and so many others. Stuck on You (2003) was his favorite film because this is where he met his wife Luciana Bozan. (They have 4 children).

Damon was asked how he prepares for a role. As an example, he shared the story of driving to Tennessee where he bar-backed for a month just to hear/learn the local dialect for a film he was working on at the time.  He has worked with directors Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Soderbergh and many more.

An hysterical, roast-like tribute clip followed their conversation that included comments by Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle and Jimmy Kimmel. It was a bit surprising that his childhood friend, Ben Affleck, wasn’t included.

Damon and Downey, The Dynamic Duo, have always wanted to do a film together and their dream will come true next summer when they will appear, albeit not in any scenes together, in the film Oppenheimer, about physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer and the development of the atomic bomb. 

Before the event, guests mingled in the lobby enjoying cocktails and photo opps. Partygoers then grabbed boxes of movie snacks and headed into the theaters. An after-party, also in the lobby, was held following the fun-filled convo. The two actors clearly adore and respect each other so their banter was heart-warming to watch. After Downey presented the award to Damon, the honoree said, “It’s a little embarrassing to be talked about for an hour by a person you idolize.” He added, “I honestly can’t believe that I’ve been able to live this life and that you guys keep letting me do movies.”

Past Renaissance Award recipients have included Morgan Freeman, Scarlett Johansson, Reese Witherspoon, Mark Ruffalo, Ethan Hawke, George Lucas, Kevin Spacey, Robert Downey, Jr. and others.

Since 1972, the Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago has presented cutting edge cinema to an annual audience of 100,000. The Film Center’s programming includes annual film festivals that celebrate diverse voices and international cultures, premieres of trailblazing work by today’s independent filmmakers, restorations and revivals of essential films from cinema history, and insightful, provocative discussions with filmmakers and media artists.

Altogether, the Film Center hosts over 1,600 screenings and 200 filmmaker appearances every year. The Film Center was renamed the Gene Siskel Film Center in 2000 after the late, nationally celebrated film critic, Gene Siskel. (siskelfilmcenter.org)