I
never met Roger Ebert, but it seems like I lost a friend today.
The
gut punch I felt upon learning the prominent film critic, historian and
screenwriter had died of cancer at age 70 is a testament to his immense talent.
Ebert’s reviews and blog posts (typically about politics and current events) were
so conversational and so accessible – while simultaneously displaying his
fierce intelligence – that they fooled me into thinking the world’s most famous
movie critic was having a private chat with me. That’s how great writing works.
My
first exposure to movie reviews was At the Movies, the television show he
co-hosted with rival critic Gene Siskel. As a kid, I was fascinated by the idea
that these guys got paid to watch movies and talk about them, sometimes so
passionately I thought they were going to get into a fistfight. That was their
job! How cool is that?
Ebert
also taught me the power of persuasive arguments. I was 13 when Pulp Fiction
became a pop culture phenomenon, due in part to his rave review. Because I have
good parents, they looked at me like I’d lost my mind when I asked them to
drive their newly-teenage son to see Quentin Tarantino’s violent, profane
masterpiece. To this day, one of my proudest achievements is convincing my mom
and stepdad to change their minds by quoting some of the most interesting
observations I remembered from At the Movies. Rather than scarring me for
life, the film opened my eyes to the idea that films can be art as well as
entertainment. I have Ebert to thank for that.
He
is also directly responsible for my movie reviews appearing in the Times-Georgian
for the last 11 years (in addition to the editor who allows me to keep writing
them, of course). As a journalism student, I was taught to model my writing
after other columnists until I could find my own voice. Guess who I picked?
Obviously, Ebert had more talent in one of his fingernails than I possess after
years of honing my craft, but his jovial, approachable tone – which so clearly communicated
his love of film – taught me how I should convey my opinions. Not in a haughty,
I’m-smarter-than-you fashion, but in a way that invites enthusiastic conversation.
In
the last years of his life, Ebert taught millions of readers how to handle the setbacks
of life with honesty and grace. When his first bout with cancer took his jaw,
his voice and his ability to eat solid foods, he chronicled his struggles in a candid
and relatable manner. Because he could no longer speak, he stepped up his journalistic
output and social media presence. Just last year, he wrote more than 306
reviews, multiple blog posts each week and other occasional features. That’s
astonishing, and he made it look effortless.
Ebert
published his final blog post on Tuesday, informing readers that his cancer had
returned and he would be reducing his workload. I have no idea if he knew how
close he was to the end, but his parting words could not have been more
perfect: “I’ll see you at the movies.”
There’s
no way I can top that, so I won’t even try. I’ll just say thank you, Mr. Ebert.
You taught me how to treasure movies, you taught me how write about them and
you taught me how to respect people’s opinions even when I disagree. For that,
and so much more, I’ll be forever grateful.
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