All hail Harrison Ford! Plane accident puts his legacy in perspective

Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones

I feel like my generation all collectively gasped when we first heard the news that Harrison Ford was in a serious plane accident. Not only because he over 70 years old now, but also because he means something to us.

Now that we all know he's ok -- although he did sustain some significant injuries -- people on the Internet are having fun with the story, photoshopping images of stormtroopers on the golf course where he landed, stuff like that.

This all makes sense -- we live in an age where sarcasm is always rewarded over sentiment.

It also doesn't help that much of Ford's best work dates back twenty years at least, so there isn't the same reverence for him that there once was.

That said, had he died this week or been hurt irrevocably it would have been profoundly tragic, because Ford is one of the greatest leading men in Hollywood history, and he also happens to be on of my favorite actors of all time.

Much of the media coverage surrounding his incident has identified him as the star of both the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises. This is understandable, they remain some of the highest grossing films of all time (Ford once held the record as the biggest box office star ever), and they are the roles he will always be identified with, no matter how much it seems to annoy him.

Han Solo or Indiana Jones? It seems impossible to decide which is the cooler character. Ford has always been partial to Jones, the thinking man's action hero. And while I love that character and resent the notion of anyone else ever playing him, I think I might be more of Han Solo fan. I love his swagger and his bravado, particularly in A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. He seems to cede the badass spotlight to Luke Skywalker in Return of the Jedi, but he's still the man.

Of course, Ford has done some truly outstanding work in several films outside of the George Lucas-Steven Spielberg wheelhouse. For instance ...

The Conversation (1974) - Ford is essentially a shadowy villain here in a totally against-type role opposite Gene Hackman in Francis Ford Coppola's dark thriller about a surveillance expert who gets too close to one of his clients. Ford is a silky and sinister operator here and his work in this film and five years later in Coppola's Apocalypse Now, suggest that he could have been an interesting character actor too if he never became the huge movie star he did.

Blade Runner (1982) - In the early 1980s, Ford had perhaps the greatest run of A-list movie star turns of any actor ever. In 1980 he did The Empire Strikes Back, in '81 Raiders of the Lost Ark and following this sci-fi classic he would do Return of the Jedi in '83 and Temple of Doom in '84. This was the one film that flopped and yet now it may be remembered as one of his most critically acclaimed and influential films.

Witness (1985) - Ford received his first and so far only Academy Award nomination for this amazing movie which works as both a romance and as a thriller. Ford plays a tough Philadelphia cop forced to hide out in an Amish community to both evade corrupt colleagues and protect a young boy and his mother who know more than they should about a murder. Ford has never been better.

Working Girl (1988) - He showed he could earnestly play comedy here in a movie that is really Melanie Griffith's show, although he gets top billing. They have real chemistry and he brilliantly plays off of her and off of Sigourney Weaver as her obnoxious boss. Ford has dipped his toes in comedy since, most recently in a very amusing cameo in Anchorman 2. He's always showed a light touch, particularly in the Star Wars and Indiana Jones films -- or even on late night shows, but it'd be nice to see him exploit it more.

Presumed Innocent (1990) - Quite possibly the most overlooked masterpiece of Ford's golden age, this riveting legal thriller has him playing a less noble hero than usual and boasts a devastating twist ending that sticks with you long after the movie is over. The film's greatest shot just plays out on Ford's face as he listens to the big reveal. One of the things I really appreciate about Ford is he was always a grown up and with a few exceptions he made movies squarely aimed at more mature filmgoers, this one is perfect example of that.

The Fugitive (1993) - This film just may feature my favorite Ford performance of all time. I can't think of a more sympathetic hero figure. His Dr. Richard Kimble is smart, industrious and driven -- he's been falsely accused of brutally murdering his own wife and he leads the audience on a desperate search to find the real killer while staying one step ahead of the authorities, led by Tommy Lee Jones in an Oscar-winning performance. Ford shows he's not afraid to be truly vulnerable here, something that set him apart from his more generic action star peers.

Clear and Present Danger (1994) - Other actors have and will play Jack Ryan (and I actually think Alec Baldwin probably did it the best in The Hunt for Red October) but Harrison Ford was the most iconic and had the most success in the role. Only perhaps Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington are as good at playing trustworthy, endearing good guys that you can root for. His role as a CIA "boy scout" would be boring if he didn't bring so much grit and determination to the proceedings.

Air Force One (1997) - Sure it's campy ("Get off my plane") and a little dated, but Ford was still legitimately kicking butt at 55 years old and made a convincing president of the United States to boot. Before he made a few too many movies where his family was being threatened, he made this blockbuster and it's an undeniably entertaining thrill ride. And he has great scenes opposite Gary Oldman as the boiler plate sadistic villain.

What Lies Beneath (2000) - This silly but stylish horror film was probably the last major hit Ford has had not counting his return as Indiana Jones in 2008 and his terrific supporting turn in the 2013 Jackie Robinson biopic 42. He shocked audiences by playing a truly evil character and seems to really relish upending his all-American hero persona. Sadly, his work since has been largely disappointing and with his age starting to show his affinity for action has limited him.

Still, there is great hope for this year's The Force Awakens, which will reunite him with original Star Wars stars Mark Hamil and Carrie Fisher. And there is also word that he will play a part in a continuation of the Blade Runner saga. It hards to think that someday he'll be gone and thankfully, for now, he isn't.