quote:We have a habit of turning sentimental about celebrities who are struck down — Muhammad Ali, Christopher Reeve — transforming them into mystics; still, it's almost impossible to sit beside Roger Ebert, lifting blue Post-it notes from his silk fingertips, and not feel as though he's become something more than he was. He has those hands. And his wide and expressive eyes, despite everything, are almost always smiling.
There is no need to pity me, he writes on a scrap of paper one afternoon after someone parting looks at him a little sadly. Look how happy I am.
posted
His blog is amazing. He has been writing some really outstanding pieces over the last few years - not all just film commentary either. He seems to be handling this dreadful situation with so much dignity and grace along with, if possible, even more sublime writings than he produced for so long before.
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quote:Reading it from its beginning is like watching an Aztec pyramid being built. At first, it's just a vessel for him to apologize to his fans for not being downstate. The original entries are short updates about his life and health and a few of his heart's wishes. Postcards and pebbles. They're followed by a smattering of Welcomes to Cyberspace. But slowly the journal picks up steam, as Ebert's strength and confidence and audience grow. You are the readers I have dreamed of, he writes. He is emboldened. He begins to write about more than movies; in fact, it sometimes seems as though he'd rather write about anything other than movies. The existence of an afterlife, the beauty of a full bookshelf, his liberalism and atheism and alcoholism, the health-care debate, Darwin, memories of departed friends and fights won and lost — more than five hundred thousand words of inner monologue have poured out of him, five hundred thousand words that probably wouldn't exist had he kept his other voice.
posted
Ebert's a great guy and I met him many times and debated against him a whole lots and he is classy and sharp and all of that. Seeing what state he's in now is just ... punishing. It's not something I can be inspired to celebrate. I don't care if it led to some writing. He deserves a voice. He always did good things with it.
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posted
Sam, have you read his blog? It is truly some of the best writing that I have read in years. His voice is louder than ever, just not audible any more.
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posted
I know that the quality of his work is good. I'm just saying that this turn of affairs is not something I can be inspired to celebrate. Even if he would want me to!
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posted
I watched Siskel and Ebert for years, and then Ebert and Roeper. I had no idea the path life had taken him down. Thank you for sharing the articles.
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posted
Ebert's awesome. I highly endorse reading his blog, he's one of the more thoughtful men around today.
On the subject of his impending death:
quote:I know it is coming, and I do not fear it, because I believe there is nothing on the other side of death to fear. I hope to be spared as much pain as possible on the approach path. I was perfectly content before I was born, and I think of death as the same state. What I am grateful for is the gift of intelligence, and for life, love, wonder, and laughter. You can't say it wasn't interesting. My lifetime's memories are what I have brought home from the trip. I will require them for eternity no more than that little souvenir of the Eiffel Tower I brought home from Paris.
Come off it. I'm a cinephile, and I ardently follow what cinephiles are saying online. Over the past three years there has been some serious consternation with Ebert's ratings among movie fans. He seemingly became accepting of everything. And it's not controversial to say that his health issues were at the root of this sudden acceptance of everything.
(I've been reading Ebert since 1999 btw and watching the show ever since Roeper became part of it.)
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posted
I think it's more like that he doesn't see/review as many movies as he used to, so he doesn't feel obligated to see and review bad movies.
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