" The AFI Life Achievement Award was established by the Board of Directors of the American Film Institute on February 26, 1973 to honor a single individual for his or her lifetime contribution to enriching American culture through motion pictures and television"
"The Trustees initially specified that the recipient must be one who fundamentally advanced the art of film and whose achievements had been acknowledged by the general public as well as by film scholars and critics and the individual's peers. The Trustees also specified that the work of the recipient must have withstood the test of time"
How did Jane Fonda, Shirley Maclaine, Jack Lemmon make this list. They were alive at the time must be it.They are all decent actors,but
"fundamentally advanced the art of film" ??? That's the term I probably don't understand.
Then they have to be alive?, so you get entertained that's the reward for watching it.
John Wayne meets the letter of these two statements and wasn't put on because he was a conservative American and possibly because he died too early.
Most of the people on the list, probably deserve it, but Steve Martin? I like him but how did he " fundamentally advance the art of film"?
