A Movie Legend Passes
Ivan Reitman kicks back next to his Claes Oldenberg sculpture. Image by Larry Dale Gordon, from “The Talented Mr. Reitman”, Santa Barbara Magazine 2003
Our tribute to Ivan Reitman
Written by Josef Woodard
Ivan Reitman, who sadly passed away on February 12 at age 75, held a special position in the elite group of movie people who settled in Santa Barbara. Reitman, best known as director of a spate of timeless comedies—including Ghostbusters, Meatballs, Stripes, Dave, Twins, and Kindergarten Cop—managed the balancing act of being a working Hollywood legend in the 805, even calling his production company Montecito Picture Company (founded with partner Tom Pollock).
Reitman, with his lifelong partner/wife Geneviève, also “produced” director son Jason Reitman, who has carried the family name forward with such notable films as Up in the Air, Juno, and last year’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Also in the Reitman clan are multi-talent Catherine, whose resume includes being the creative force behind the CBC sitcom Workin’ Moms, and Caroline, an actress. Locally, Ivan Reitman was an active board member of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF), and he and his wife contributed generously to the Cottage Hospital building campaign and the Unity Shoppe, among other causes.
Reitman, born in Czechoslovakia but raised in Canada, tapped into friendships and creative alliances with such Canadian comedians as Dan Aykroyd while forging a new giddy, hip comic sensibility. In an interview in 2000, before a SBIFF tribute, he commented on his role in helping pioneer the comedy style of an era. “Every generation has to find a voice for itself and a sort of comedy style,” he told me, citing Saturday Night Live in the ’70s and ’80s as the voice of the Baby Boomers. “But really, comedy remains the same. They all play with humor in much the same way. It comes from surprise, it comes from shock, it comes from irony. All the basic things that make us laugh are about the same. It’s just pulled through fresh voices with each generation.”
Referring to his status as a Hollywood icon, Reitman humbly shrugged, suggesting that “if you keep doing the same thing long enough, people sort of catch up to you.”
After Reitman’s passing, SBIFF executive director Roger Durling paid homage: “Ivan's legacy is the way he made generations laugh with his movies, and his filmography is filled with classic comedies. He also loved this town: he named his company after Montecito, where he resided. He was generous of many causes in Santa Barbara, including Cottage Hospital and SBIFF. We will be forever indebted to him.”
