ROGER EBERT
JUNE 18, 1942-APRIL 4, 2013
I wish beyond nearly all wishes that I did not have to write this latest piece. But sometimes, ever so sadly, even the greatest wishes do not come true.
Late in the afternoon on Thursday, April 4th, I clicked onto the internet for a moment and was immediately greeted with a news announcement on the Yahoo home page that stopped me cold. Roger Ebert, film critic for the Chicago Sun Times since 1967, 1975 Pulitzer Prize winner for film criticism, celebrated film historian and author, legendary co-host of television's "Sneak Previews" and all of its incarnations, honorary member of the Director's Guild Of America, screenwriter for Director Russ Meyer's bawdy cult classic "Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls" (1970), and the only film critic to have ever received a star upon the Hollywood Walk Of Fame passed away after a nearly 11 year battle with cancer, a disease which left him without his lower jaw as well as the ability to speak or eat during the final years of his life. While his passing was certainly inevitable given the severity of his illness, the arrival of the news felt as hard as a sucker punch in the middle of my face. Or more truthfully, my heart.
Since first reading the news, friends have sent me notes or quick messages through the internet offering condolences to me, an odd thing as I never knew the man personally and only had the extreme pleasure of meeting and briefly interacting with him once at a book signing in 1995. Yet, by the same token, I completely understand the gestures as everyone who has ever known me for so much of my life knows without question how the massive influence his life, work, writings and legacy have shaped and formulated the person I am today.
Without question, Savage Cinema would not exist at all if not for him and the work he performed throughout his life, either on his own or in collaboration with the late Gene Siskel who passed away after his battle with brain cancer in 1999. As I have ruminated over this incredible loss, the voice of John Lennon has repeatedly echoed within my brain, taking me back to the very moment when I first read this awful, awful news. "I read the news today...oh boy...," Lennon sang. Did I ever. One thing that is so painful about growing older is having to occasionally and increasingly having to go through the process of saying goodbye to loved ones, including one's heroes. And here I am again, having to say goodbye to one more. Words are flowing around in my head at this time and I am unsure as to how to formulate them all. But, for Roger Ebert, who gifts and skills were and remain as nothing less than eternal treasures for me, I believe that I OWE this man the very best that I am able to muster for he has given more to me than I could have ever imagined and I would never have enough life to thank him for it. Mr. Ebert, this is for you. For then, for now, for always.
My connection to the art, language and power of the movies and my introduction to Roger Ebert arrived, either through coincidence or fate, in the summer of 1977 when I was eight years old. Before this time, I really hadn't seen that many movies and frankly, my overall interest in them was essentially non-existent. For me, the act of going to the movies was a fun outing and also an event to perhaps munch on a tasty snack of popcorn. Nothing more. But then, on May 25, 1977, my life changed forever, when my Dad took my family to an opening day showing of George Lucas' "Star Wars." It was as if a bolt of lightning had found me within the confines of a movie theater and opened my soul to an entirely new world...the world of motion pictures and all of the art and artistry contained therein.
A short time after seeing "Star Wars," and on one typically inauspicious evening at dinner in my household, my Dad was casually changing channels until the image of the Millennium Falcon consumed in a dogfight with TIE Fighters raced across the television screen. Begging him to please not change the channel, I was soon introduced to a sight that altered my life just as seismically...
"On the television screen sat two men. One man was thin, unmistakably grumpy and tall and the other man was corpulent, bespectacled, slightly more jovial yet no less serious. They appeared to me as sort of a real world “Bert and Ernie”as they sat across from each other in what looked to be a movie theater balcony and then, they began to speak about the images I had just watched. They spoke in a tenor that was similar to the type I had heard so, so often on the Chicago sports talk radio programs my Father obsessively listened to yet this time, that tenor zeroed in towards my personal frequencies. While I didn’t understand everything they were talking about, the language somehow felt inherently familiar and I only desired to hear more of what they had to say."
I wrote those italicized words over two and a half years ago, in my tribute to "At The Movies" (published August 2010), one of the various televised versions of the movie review program Roger Ebert began with Gene Siskel on public television in 1975. Essentially every single word within that tribute necessitates repetition at this time as those words and the emotion contained inside of them have only grown in sheer importance with the arrival of Roger Ebert's passing. As always, I invite you to read that posting in full if you wish but I will bring you some highlights as to how Roger Ebert influenced my life as a film enthusiast, the very highlights that I truly believe would mirror so many of your own feelings, especially now as we take copious time to reflect upon what Roger Ebert has given to the world.
I explained how Ebert and Siskel's television show existed for me as supremely informative, enormously entertaining and entirely riveting viewing week after week after week for nearly four decades. And over the years as I watched, I realized that what was being delivered to me was the very best film school education that I could have ever hoped to have as these two men, through their obvious passion and sheer enthusiasm, gave me the tools and the language they used themselves to watch, judge and rate films. They taught me that movies were not innocuous, disposable pieces of fluff to be consumed passively. That movies are an art form to be championed, celebrated, nurtured and loved and to do so, they taught me how to think about what I was watching, how I responded and how to engage and discuss with absolutely anyone about what I had seen and experienced. To that measure, Ebert and Siskel's consistent on-air showdowns, while incredibly visceral, most importantly introduced and educated me to the art of the debate as these men found a myriad of ways to to verbally arm themselves with intelligence, bravado, wit, and an unshakable determination to fiercely defend their opinions no matter what the opponent was hurling in their direction.
Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel profoundly expanded my viewing horizons by introducing me to film styles, genres and filmmakers I otherwise would never have seen. Furthermore and regardless of whether the motion picture in question arrived from Hollywood with the largest budget and imaginable or if it was the independent feature that barely had two pennies to rub together, these men championed the quality of the work and the effectiveness of the storytelling. They celebrated sheer quality and they were also completely unafraid to call out anyone, including the giants of the movie industry when they creatively fell short or even sold out. Roger Ebert never, ever suffered cinematic fools lightly and when his rancor was unleashed, he always rose to the challenge with blistering, stinging humor and flat out superb writing. With Ebert and Siskel, their work was never presented with any sense of detached hipster irony or self-congratulatory film snobbishness. Their television program was a populist work meant for everyone and no wonder why the public embraced them so tightly, because we could see that they LOVED going to the movies just as much as you and I.
As I have stated in the past, Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel's work in television led me to their written work (as well as the written work of their colleagues in film criticism) and believe me, I read their respective reviews religiously and without fail. Over time, I slowly began to see how not only my own personal tastes within film were being formulated but also how I responded to the styles of their actual writing. Between those two men, Gene Siskel always struck me as being the one who was always much harder to impress and truth be told, my personal cinematic tastes have consistently aligned themselves more with Roger Ebert's, with all due respect to Siskel's brilliance. Now that is not to say that I have always agreed with Ebert. Not at all as I am actually still confounded by his harshly negative reviews of "Fast Times At Ridgemont High" (1982) as well as "Fight Club" (1999) among others to this very day!
Aside from personal opinions about individual films, what cannot ever be denied is that Roger Ebert was an astoundingly and gloriously gifted writer. In addition to the informative and entertainment value of his reviews, Roger Ebert always wrote passionately, directly, humorously, mercilessly, tenderly, intelligently, incisively, perceptively, creatively, completely, exquisitely, beautifully and most of all inclusively. As I also wrote in my tribute to his television legacy, he and Gene Siskel created a dialogue and conversation that was not designed to solely be held with each other. It was a dialogue and conversation they were beginning with anyone and absolutely everyone who chose to watch their program or read their newspaper reviews. Yet, there was a grace and lift to Ebert's writing that separated him from the rest of the film criticism pack. His work was supremely warm and welcoming and presented with the sheer conviction that his audience was intelligent What and how he wrote was not only journalism of the highest order. What and how he wrote was nothing less than literary and like my favorite writers, from authors, journalists, musicians, screenwriters and critics, Roger Ebert's writing is precisely the type pf writing that I am aspiring to reach. He and his work represents the brass ring I am constantly stretching myself to grab. If I ever reach that goal, is actually not for me to decide. That estimation is for you, of course. But, it is through the trying, sifting, seeking and pursuit of those collection of words or that singular phrase that will illuminate a deeper truth, where I hope to possibly enter in the realm where Roger Ebert existed.
For me, all writing, whether creatively or through Savage Cinema, is like piecing together an unbelievably complicated jigsaw puzzle where words, thoughts and emotions are the pieces hoping to align themselves harmoniously into a complete "picture" that is then understandable to everyone. I want to express to you, as purely as possible, that in countless ways, my writings and reviews are almost entirely modeled upon Roger Ebert's. I am not actively attempting to copy him or even trying to emulate him for I just could not even if I tried, and furthermore, what would even be the point of doing so? I am just trying to accomplish through my writing what he has accomplished so magically with his own writing and every review I write is a baby step towards reaching that pinnacle.
You see, Roger Ebert was never adverse to including himself within his reviews. To me, much like his trademark "Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down" judgments, this particular inclusion and stylistic choice did not make his work in film criticism any less serious in comparison to others within his specialized field. For me, it elevated the work because it made the reviews personal statements of such individuality and frankly, why not? Because our relationships with any form of art, whether it leans towards the intellectual or the emotional or in some hybrid, are always personal and serve their purpose to build, express, formulate or illuminate who we are as individual beings. With Roger Ebert, as you learned about a film, you equally learned about Roger Ebert himself and that quality is one that I keep trying to include and reach within my own writings. He wrote for himself but he also wrote for us and we learned about him, the movies as well as ourselves together all along the way.
By the time his illness robbed him of his ability to speak, Roger Ebert's voice and his command of it extended itself powerfully into cyberspace with his blogsite at www.rogerebert.com. In addition to film his writing began to include ruminations upon politics, Science, religion and spirituality, his world travels, food and cooking, his overall worldview and most crucially, his deteriorating health with a clear-eyed, open-hearted and unsentimental candidness that only opened the floodgates for him to receive a new legion of readers. His writing remained as graceful and skilled as ever but it was met with a newfound level of bravery, honesty, integrity and fearlessness that was uncompromising and unrepentant. If you have not ever visited his blogsite, I deeply encourage you to head there and scroll through his writings to truly gather the sheer breadth of his work and ultimately, his consciousness. And then, do read the responses and I believe that for all of you who valued this man, you will find a piece of yourself somewhere within the relationships he formed with his audience, including those he occasionally corresponded with.
That, I believe is the secret ingredient contained at the core of the wondrous legacy of Roger Ebert, the ingredient that set him miles apart from all others in his field, the ingredient that touched and inspired generations, and hopefully will continue to do so long, long, long into the future. It just even may be this very ingredient that has served as a catalyst for the massive outpouring of affection towards this man after this terrible news was announced to the world. For himself, as he embarked upon his own life's journey, he made the conscious decision as a journalist, film critic and writer to completely share that journey with all of us, inspiring a continuous dialogue between himself and his audience. Essentially, and like the title of his magnificent memoir, Roger Ebert's massive output was entirely about life itself. Roger Ebert showed me that movies are not just our dreams and fantasies presented upon celluloid for us to experienced together in a darkened theater. He showed and taught me the life lesson that above all else that movies are our window into the larger world and most importantly, our window into beginning our understanding of each other. This humane, empathetic, constantly curious and endlessly fascinated approach with life allowed him to explore the human condition in a most idiosyncratic and completely individualized fashion. There was undeniably nobody else like him and how blessed we are all for having had him as part of our collective existence for as long as we were able to.
At the time of this writing, the pain and sadness of my grief over Roger Ebert's passing has subsided...just a little. As I said earlier, this event was not unexpected considering the status of his health unlike the death of John Hughes, which was so shockingly and unforgivably sudden. But even so, Ebert seemed to remain so unstoppable, so determined, especially as his writing only increased during his final years. Beyond his output, and more on a personal level, Roger Ebert was, and will forever remain, a key figure and fixture in my life's journey and sense of self-discovery, which led me to a love of the movies, literature and all artistic pursuits plus aiding me in the self-discovery of the person I actually wish to be in this world. I honestly do not know how my life would have turned out or which directions I would have taken if I had never known of him and experienced what he shared with me and you. Roger Ebert's presence simply felt to be so...infinite...I guess, because for nearly my entire life, he has always been a major player. I cannot even imagine moving forwards in my life, going to the movies and now, not being able to to click on his website and read his latest thoughts and writings. To know that his voice will not be added to the ongoing discussion of the movies is just unfathomable to me and yet, here we are.
People have remarked that the passing of Roger Ebert represents the end of an era. To that, I am not ready to admit to that feeling. It's funny because just two days before his passing, Roger Ebert published what is now his final blog post, where he commemorated his 46 years as a film critic, revealed the return of his cancer, divulged a host of future plans (which includes a bio-documentary being created by Writer Steve Zaillian and Director Martin Scorsese) and concluded by saying, "So on this day of reflection I say again, thank you for going on this journey with me. I'll see you at the movies." The piece was curiously entitled, "A Leave Of Presence." A leave of presence? In the posting, Ebert explained by stating, "It means that I am not going away."
After reading the statement released by Ebert's wife, Chaz Hammelsmith Ebert, where she explained the peacefulness of Roger Ebert's "transition," I began to wonder if the "A Leave Of Presence" blog posting was Ebert's way of saying goodbye to us ahead of time without alarming us all. Perhaps he knew he had reached his personal fade out and end credit scroll and this was his way of telling us. Of course, we will never know for certain. But I do wonder and because I wonder, and based upon his definition of "a leave of presence," I want to truly believe that Roger Ebert will never "go away."
Roger Ebert said in his memoir that "I know it is coming and I do not fear it, because I believe that there is nothing on the other side of death to fear...I was perfectly content before I was born and I think of death as the same state." With that, I ask of myself, as well as to all those whose lives Roger Ebert touched, to not be sad for too long because I just don't think that Ebert would want that for us. In fact, I think he would be a bit irritated if we mourned for far too long, whatever that time allotment would possible be. I really believe that Roger Ebert would want for all of us to keep going to the movies. To keep talking, debating, pondering and even arguing about the movies. To keep communicating with each other and learning about each other and the world that we share. If we keep doing those things, Roger Ebert will indeed, never go away.
There is a second quotation from Roger Ebert that has been briskly making the rounds within tribute and throughout the internet. It arrives from the conclusion of his memoir and I will repeat it in full at this time:
" 'Kindness' covers all of my political beliefs. No need to spell them out. I believe that if, at the end, according to our abilities, we have done something to make others a little happier, and something to make ourselves a little happier, that is about the best we can do. To make others less happy is a crime. To make ourselves unhappy is where all crime starts. We must try to contribute joy to the world. That is true no matter what our problems, our health, our circumstances. We must try. I didn't always know this and am happy I lived long enough to find it out."
A beautiful epiphany, beautifully stated. To honor and cherish his life, legacy, memory and to ensure that he never goes away forever let us all do the same. He gave all of us the tools. He gave all of us the language. He gave all of himself with journalistic diligence, glorious artistry and with the utmost humanity.
It's all up to us now.
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