Bill Clinton to Present Film Society\'s Chaplin Award to Barbra Streisand

Now that he’s got a little more time on his hands these days, former president Bill Clinton seems to have a reignited passion for motion pictures. First, he turns up at the awards ceremony for the Golden Globes to sing the praises of Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln,” and now he’ll be giving a coveted film prize to Barbra Streisand. The Film Society of Lincoln Center said on Wednesday morning that Mr. Clinton will present its Chaplin Award to Ms. Streisand at a gala ceremony on April 22. Ms. Streisand, the actress, singer and director whose movies include “Funny Girl,” “The Way We Were,” “Yentl” and “The Prince of Tides,” was announced last month as the 40th recipient of the Chaplin Award. That honor has previously been given to artists like Catherine Deneuve, Sidney Poitier, Michael Douglas, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep. The Film Society said its awards gala, to be held at Lincoln Center will be attended other celebrity guests and feature film clips and interviews celebrating Ms. Streisand’s career.

Mr. Clinton, who will soon be the subject of a documentary directed by Martin Scorsese, has, of course, been a long time fan of Ms. Streisand’s, and she has likewise been a supporter of his and of his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton. But there was no immediate word if Mr. Clinton had seen Ms. Streisand with Seth Rogen in “The Guilt Trip.”