“I’ll see you at the movies” Remembering Roger Ebert (1942-2013)

A Thumbs Up from the late great Roger Ebert

“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.”

-Roger Ebert

The final words that the great Roger Ebert wrote are of course ones of reflection and positivity. Roger Ebert’s final words to his readers, written less than 48 mere hours before his sudden and unfortunate death on Thursday, is his goodbye presented in only the way he could write them, with a smiling optimism and grace. Roger Ebert loved life and what he did; he lived his dream for 48 years and throughout transported his millions of readers and viewers on that dream along with him.

I never knew, nor would have imagined knowing, Mr. Ebert personally in any facet but his writing and life has left a giant impact on me. It seemed with every piece Mr. Ebert would write, whether in a review, a great movies essay, passionate political blog post, or a short twitter message that there would be a little piece of him inserted in everything. Not a write went by that one couldn’t see a piece of his heart present inside of it. 

Even when reviewing an awful film that he hated Mr. Ebert would let it out with a heated passion in his writing. Mr. Ebert’s enthusiasm was always on display and one can’t help feeling like they knew a part of Roger Ebert every time they read his works.

Then there is the writing itself. Roger Ebert was always the best, most creative writer in film critique. His 1975 Puzzler award is proof of that ability. Roger always had an eloquence and personality in his writing that only a select few contained. Reading a Roger Ebert review wasn’t like reading any other film review, it was introspective and critical, yet eloquent and deeply personal. It never followed any particular formula, never said the same things, and was always a blast to read.

Those reviews that he would write were also what revolutionized the art of film criticism forever. Roger Ebert and his partner the late and equally great Gene Siskel took film critique to a wide audience. They showed the world the power and emotion of film, from the great successes to the small films that they would champion. It was strange that two middle age men on public television would revolutionize the art film criticism forever but it worked and it was magical. Without the influence that Roger Ebert (and Gene Siskel) film criticism would not be the same today.

In the end Roger Ebert loved the movies. He was and will forever be a revolutionary writer and a kind and optimistic man. While one may not have agreed with everything he had to say one can’t deny the love and soul that Roger Ebert put into every one of his pieces. Roger Ebert was a massively powerful presence in American writing history and most certainly will be missed.

“I’ll see you at the movies.”

-Roger Ebert