I was 10 years old when someone told me, “You know Gene Hackman is from here.” We were standing outside the Fischer Theatre in Danville, Illinois. The marquee was faded, the paint peeling. The theatre, once a staple of downtown…

Of the recently departed Gene Hackman’s greatest hits — take your pick among The French Connection, Unforgiven, and The Royal Tenenbaums, among others — the most loved, at least for those seeking a fairytale David versus Goliath sports redemption story,…