Val Kilmer reported to be a top contender, though just days after Keaton dropped out, Kilmer was cast. Kilmer took the role without even knowing who the new director was and without reading the script. Released in June 1995, "Batman Forever" was a success at the box office, despite receiving mixed reviews from critics. There was debate about Kilmer's performance: some critics, like "The New York Times" Janet Maslin, thought Kilmer was a poor successor to Keaton in the part; while others, such as Roger Ebert, had kind words for Kilmer. "Batman" creator Bob Kane said in a "Cinescape" interview that of
Nick Clooney Movies That Changed Us: Reflections on the Screen" (Atria, 2002). The book analyzes the significance of such iconic American films as "The Birth of a Nation", "The Jazz Singer", "Dr. Strangelove", "Stagecoach", "The Graduate", "Star Wars" and "Saving Private Ryan". Clooney was the commencement speaker for the University of Cincinnati on June 8, 2012 and was awarded an honorary degree the following day. In 2014, Nick Clooney appeared in "The Monuments Men" which was directed by his son, George Clooney, who played one of the leading characters, Stokes. Nick Clooney played the older Stokes visiting Bruges, Belgium, years later to