The 'Kid' is electric

Through the Sundance Institute, he has been the godfather of American independent film, and through the Institute for Resource Management, a catalyst for the environmental movement.

(Though it must be said that his The Milagro Beanfield War, A River Runs Through It, and The Horse Whisperer were more eloquent briefs for protecting the purple-mountain majesty than any institute.)

Though he's too robust to be thinking about epitaphs now, he has an answer at the ready when asked for one: "Can I get back to you?"

Redford on Film

As a moviemaker, Robert Redford wears many hats. As an actor, he's the mythic American figure. As a producer-actor, he's the real guy trying to change the system. And as a director, he's made films about healing broken families.

Mythic Redford

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) Charismatic outlaw Sundance robs banks with Paul Newman's Butch and loves Katharine Ross' Etta Place.

The Way We Were (1973) Redford is the all-American apathetic, who is beloved by political activist Barbra Streisand.

The Natural (1984) He's the slugger with the lightning-struck bat.

Political Redford

The Candidate (1972) An idealist makes compromises on the Senate campaign trail.

All the President's Men (1976) Reporter Bob Woodward - with fellow scribe Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) - cracks open the Watergate break-in and helps to bring down a president.

Lions for Lambs (2007) A professor lights a fire under an apathetic student.

Family Redford

Ordinary People (1980) A boy's death shatters his parents and his brother, who struggle to reassemble their lives.

Quiz Show (1994) A professor cheats on a popular TV show, to the shame of his father.

The Horse Whisperer (1998) After her daughter is severely injured in a riding accident, a mother consults an unorthodox healer.

- Carrie Rickey