Remembering Ann Hornaday: She Invited You Into Her Film World — And Just Her World

The late Washington Post critic was the rarity we should all aspire to be: a sharp observer and a deep mensch A great writer and even better person died, but leaves behing an aspiration-worthy legacy I don’t remember when I started working with Ann Hornaday.I mean, I know the date because I had an employment letter from HR. But I don’t recall a shift in how she related to me as I went from someone at a competing newspaper to a colleague inside the fold. She’d already treated me like I was part of her family. She already treated everyone like they were part of her family.So when I joined The Washington Post in 2017 from The Los Angeles Times, it brought no change in our dynamic.

She just continued being as warm — and friendly and empathetic and commiserative — as when we worked apart. Ann didn’t have Jewish blood as far as I know. But with her, you were always mishpocha.Ann died on Sunday at age 66. Gone way too soon, but for a good soul, is there ever on time? I didn’t lead with the fact that she was a film critic — and a damn good one, as evidenced by her many viral reviews, her acclaimed book Talking Pictures and her finalist status for the Pulitzer