In Memorium: Roger Ebert

I remember exactly. It was the fall of 1979, a Saturday afternoon. I was going around the channels when I came upon two strange-looking men who sat in a garish, badly designed imitation of a movie balcony. I knew one of them because he was the movie critic of the Chicago Tribune, a paper we had delivered at home. His name was Gene Siskel, and, I had been reading him off and on for a few years. The other guy, portly, unkempt hair, glasses, and quite rotund I knew of by reputation, but, not by face. He called himself Roger Ebert. They were reviewing the new movies out at the time on their PBS show ''Sneak Previews''. The movies were ''10'' with Dudley Moore and Bo Derek, and, I believe, ''Starting Over'' with Burt Reynolds and Candice Bergen. They liked ''10'', but, disagreed on the other movie. Quite forcefully. I watched, amazed, as these two men argued furiously over two simple movies. It was very compelling and watchable. And, I didn't know it at the time, but, I was becoming a fan of the show, the exploration of movies beyond what you are seeing, and, mostly, I became a fan of these two movie champions....... Roger Ebert died today at the age of 70. He had been fighting cancer for several years. In 2006, he had the disease in his thyroid and around his mouth. There was operations to save his life, which it did. However, he lost the ability to eat and talk and function in an independant way. It was cruel irony that this man who loved to talk movies was now stricken silent, as in a wordless prison. But, he did not give up and rallied to his recovery. He had a fine wife named Chazz who never gave up on Roger. Her support, along with his family and friends and admirers, plus his love of movies, carried him through these last tough years. Although he could not speak, he continued to write. And, with this ability his voice was strongly heard........ He wrote from the heart and soul. There was no elitism or superiority from the man because he knew movies inside and out. Rather, he wrote for all of us, expressing viewpoints and observations untapped by the reader. He wrote like an essayist, analyzing his subject. Sure, he could be snippy at times, but, that snippiness was usually hurled at worthy targets. For a man so passionate about movies, for him to sit through the garbage Hollywood puts out every year just to find the golden nugget, had to be an exercise in supreme tolerance. But, Roger Ebert always played fair with his subjects. He was easy on actors, applauding their nerve and abilities. If he came along someone who he did not appreciate--- as all moviegoers do--- then he either ignored them, or, pinned a soft criticism on their ego. Within his writing was Roger Ebert,the decent human being, mixed with Roger Ebert, lover of movies. He never lost his passion for movies and the process of how it enriched all of our lives. The strange thing was that he was called a ''film critic''. Criticism usually implies looking for the holes and then exploiting them. Not Roger. I always thought that his real title should have been ''film observer'', in that he brought the hidden ideas of our minds to the surface when watching a movie. He was not a man with a chip on his shoulder looking to burst the balloon, but, rather, a welcome companion sharing some thoughts as we watched the pictures fly through the screen...... Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel intially did not get along. The first several years they were on the movie beat were frosty, at best. Roger worked for the Sun-Times, so he was competion for the Tribune's Siskel. Both started a couple years apart--- Ebert in 1967, Siskel in 1969--- and had a personal dislike for each other immediately. They would barely nod to each other if they were in the same screening room. It wasn't until 1975, when PBS was putting together a local TV show about movies that they were forced to be together. Their natural rivalry leaped through the TV at the viewer and you had to ask yourself, when watching, ''Do these guys really hate each other, or what?'' Well, at first, they did. Even after the first few rough years of the show were ironed out and they became a reluctant team together, there still was a hostility and irritation brewing just below the surface of both men. It sure made great television, but, the tension in the studio must have been intolerable. Like anything else in life, time healed most of the wounds and they became genuine friends and saw each other socially. However, there was still the competiveness that drove their relationship. And, it worked wonders because they were so dynamic on-air that their TV show was syndicated and they became genuine stars, appearing on talk shows and making personal appearances. The best moments of ''Siskel and Ebert'', apart from their own show, I always thought, was on marvelous display on Letterman. David Letterman always knew how to provoke and start the debate where the sparks would fly. And, Gene and Roger were the perfect foils for each other. Both had quick-wits and a forceful presence. Gene would make fun of Roger's weight. Roger would harass Gene about being bald. Good, clean, but, at times, mean-spirited jests between two men who slowly found a close friendship as time went on........ Roger Ebert was the first movie critic ever to win the Pulitzer Prize for journalism. He had a separate identity from his fame with Gene Siskel. Even Siskel, who never passed up a friendly shot at his partner, was in awe of Ebert's writing ability. When computer technology came to the fore in the late 80's Roger embraced it like a new kid with a toy. Now, he was syndicated around the world. He found a new audience of admirers that had probably never seen his show, but, appreciated how he showed his movie passion. Even if you didn't agree with his reviews [ and, at times, I didn't] you had to admire the fact that he backed up his opinions with a strong argument for his cause. When blogs became the rage in the early part of the 21st Century, Roger led the way, as usual. His blog is a national treasure. He would talk movies and politics. He would wax nostaglia and look forward to the future. He would be happy and sad. Mostly, he observed life as he observed a movie. Eyes wide open, along with an open mind. His blog reflected the man's views on any subject. And, yes, he is the prime inspiration for me writing my blogs. But, that is where the resemblance ends. He was a big-time Major Leaguer. I make bunts in the lowest of Minor Leagues. He is someone any writer aspires to. I believe he belongs on the mountain with all great writers--- Hemingway, Twain, Fitzgerald. Like all great writers, Roger Ebert expressed the sentiment and feelings for the time he lived in. He reflected an era and wrote about it from his great, brilliant mind. There is no better testament to Roger Ebert than the words that poured out through his soul......... In 1979, Roger Ebert stopped drinking. He was a heavy abuser of alcohol for most of his adult life. He came to the realization that he was an alcoholic who needed help. Professional help. And, he sought it. Through self-discipline and an army of friends, he beat the Demon Drink and Took The Pledge. According to his own account, he never touched alcohol again. After his battling of cancer there is nothing I admire more in Roger Ebert than for him to bravely come public and state his addiction. He did it to encourage other people to get help and save their lives. Roger never preached, but, he would advise and offer support to those in need. He was not proud that he let the drinking get out of hand. But, he was proud of conquering his foe and living life outside the bottle......... Gene Siskel died of cancer in 1999. By then, he and Ebert had been a team for almost a quarter-century. They had passed into the  national folklore and maintained the honored role as the moviegoer's best friend. When Siskel died, you could tell a lot of the joy for movies left Roger Ebert. Not all of it, but, a significant chunk. He and Gene became close friends in Gene's final years. When Gene died, Roger wrote a moving piece on their relationship. That eulogy could only come from a man who loved his friend deeply. And, only from a man who could express it with eloquence and dignity. Roger would continue to do his TV show for several years with a new partner, but, never again would he find the magic he had with Gene Siskel. When he could still speak, Roger would talk about Gene with a smile mixed with sadness. Roger Ebert would continue to see movies and love them. But, never again through the same eyes when Siskel was there to talk with him about it...... Roger Ebert's final blog came yesterday.  Perhaps, there will be others coming forth, but, as I write this, his final blog when alive was yesterday. He began the entry by saying ''thank you.'' It was the forty-sixth anniversary of when he first started at the Sun-Times. He then went into detail about how he was not taking a leave of absence, but, ''a leave of presence.'' He admitted that his cancer had returned and he was taking radiation. He would step back from reviewing all of the movies in release and just concentrate on movies he would pick. Reading these words I knew that what he was really saying. He was saying goodbye to all of us who so admired him and followed his path for many years. I thought he had been given a time of death by his physician and was choosing to go out on his own terms. That Roger Ebert showed class in saying goodbye fills me with more respect towards him than I ever had before [ which was enormous]. His entry ends with him saying'' look for me'' at his website...... I will look for him there. His legacy is forever cemented in my mind. I never had the pleasure of meeting him, but, I feel that I know him. That is a joy of embracing a public person--- they become a long-distanced friend. His words and his love of movies will always inspire me and remain close to my heart. It will be shocking for me to automatically turn to his review of a new movie and not find my friend there to share his thoughts with me. His legacy, his true legacy, can be found in video and the written word. You cannot hide from the public in your work. And, his work always showed a kind man, who cared enough about people to try to point them in a direction that they might find a welcome diversion towards life. Remember, he was trying to steer you into something he thought you might like and have it become a cherished memory. He made money and had fame, yes, but, Roger Ebert never stopped looking out for the moviegoer and the enthusiastic reader. The man is written into his words. And, those words will never die.........