Billy Crystal and Barbra Streisand lead an emotional and expanded Oscars in memoriam

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Billy Crystal remembered his best friend Rob Reiner in an extended and emotional in memoriam at the Oscars on Sunday, with Barbra Streisand honoring her friend and co-star Robert Redford by singing a snippet from their film “The Way We Were.”

Crystal opened the segment that was longer than usual because of the number of Hollywood heavyweights who died over the last year.

Crystal first met Reiner in 1975 when he guested on “All in the Family.”

“And it went so well, Rob said, ‘It was so much fun playing your best friend, why don’t we keep it going?’” Crystal said. “And it was a thrill seeing him evolve from a great comic actor to a master storyteller.”

Crystal recounted such Reiner films as “The Princess Bride, ”When Harry Met Sally, “A Few Good Men,” “Say Anything,” and “This is Spinal Tap.” The segment ended with over a dozen stars from those films — including Meg Ryan, Kiefer Sutherland, Fred Savage, Demi Moore, John Cusack and Ione Skye — standing together on stage.

Reiner, an actor-director, and his wife, photographer Michele Singer Reiner, both in their 70s, were found stabbed to death in their Los Angeles home in last December. Their son, Nick Reiner, has been charged in the deaths of his parents and has pleaded not guilty.

At 83, Streisand has largely retired from touring and live performances due to her well-known stage fright.

For Redford’s memory, she made an exception.

“He was a brilliant, subtle actor,” she said. “We had a wonderful time playing off each other because we never knew what the other was going to do or say.”

Streisand described Redford as “thoughtful and bold,” saying, “I called him an intellectual cowboy who blazed his own trail.”

She highlighted his history of defending press freedom, protecting the environment and encouraging new voices in film through his founding of the Sundance Institute in Utah.

“Bob had real backbone on and off the screen,” she said.

Redford died in September at age 89. He won a best director Oscar for “Ordinary People.” He and Streisand made one movie together, “The Way We Were,” in 1973.

“I miss him now more than ever, even though he loved teasing me,” she said. “He called me Babs. I’d say, ‘Bob, do I look like a Babs?’”

They were chatting on the phone and as they prepared to hang up, Redford told her, “Babs, I love you dearly, and I always will,” she said.

Streisand said, “The last note I ever wrote to Bob, I ended it with I love you, too. I signed it, Babs.”

The Oscar orchestra swelled as a photo of Redford filled the giant screen.

Standing behind a podium, with her own conductor in the aisle, Streisand picked up a mic and sang, “So it’s the laughter we will remember whenever we remember the way we were.” She received a standing ovation.

Lyricist Alan Bergman, who co-wrote “The Way We Were” theme and died last year, was shown in the segment.

Among others included were Robert Duvall and Catherine O’Hara.

Rachel McAdams paid tribute to women who died, singling out Diane Keaton.

“Believe me when I say there is an actress of my generation who was not inspired by and enthralled with her absolute singularity,” she said.

McAdams recited a Girl Scout song and poem Keaton used to say on film sets:

“Make new friends, but keep the old.

One is silver, the other is gold.

A circle is round, it has no end.

That’s how long, I will be your friend.”

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This story has been updated to correct Michele Singer Reiner’s first name.

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For more coverage of the Oscars, visit https://apnews.com/hub/academy-awards.