Melinda Dillon, a star of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", and "A Christmas Story," died last month at the tender age of 83. Her family announced that she had died on January 9, 2023.

Dillon enjoyed a varied career on stage and screen. She worked with many of the greatest directors of her time, including Hal Ashby and Bob Clark, George Roy Hill and Sydney Pollack, as well as Paul Thomas Anderson and Mike Binder. Dillon was the original Honey in "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?" In 1963, she performed a performance that would win her a Tony nomination. She then took a break from performing due to mental health reasons.

Dillon spoke candidly to The New York Times in 1976 about the pressures of New York theater, the birth of her son, and her experiences with miscarriages. She sought treatment at a mental hospital and returned to Broadway with "You Know, I Can't Hear you When the Water's Running." and other memorable roles in Hollywood movies.

It is important to note that mental health was not something that was often discussed back then or now. Dillon's willingness and ability to openly discuss her struggles as she was launching her career was remarkable.

She will always be my movie mother to me thanks to movies like "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," and "Harry and the Hendersons." This was the first time I saw Dillon on screen. She exuded that caring, exhausted, but slightly goofy energy that every child wants in a mother. Dillon isn't the type of actress who disappears into the background to be just "the wife" and "the mom," even though most of her roles fall within these categories.

Dillon was able quietly to inject realistic emotion into her characters. And, even more important, she could do it with humor. This is an excellent example of this. Ralphie saw her as the barrier between his Red Ryder BB gun and her beloved Red Ryder BB gun. This could have made her look evil, but Mrs. Parker is sweet and supportive. You even see glimpses of her playful relationship with "The Old Man", aka her husband, played by the late great Darren McGavin.

It was amazing to see how she got Randy, her little brother, to eat his mashed potatoes. Or how she covered up for Ralphie after Scut Farkus beat him. Dillon did a great job of fleshing out the story.

More than a Mom

Her performances were rich and complex, which she may not have received enough praise from movie-goers. She is a great performer when it comes to these roles. Her quiet pain in "Magnolia", the shock she experiences as the mother of an abducted boy in "Close Encounters," and her heartbreaking turn in Sydney Pollack’s "Absence Of Malice" are prime examples. It shows in her work that she studied with Lee Strasberg, a well-known actor teacher.

Another great example of her ability to bring complexity to her roles is "Slap Shot". Although "Slap Shot" may be a vulgar hockey comedy but her character is refreshingly out-of-place: a sexually progressive women whose ex is a violent homophobe. He beat her up after he discovered she was having an affair with another woman. This character is a saving grace in a movie that takes a lot of gay panic stereotypes and tries to make them relevant. It's mainly due to the fact that Dillon was so good at her job.

Melinda Dillon was an interesting and complex woman who brought a few classics to the screen. She will be greatly missed.

Film's Melinda Dillon, Oscar Nominated Actress in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, has died at 83