‘Life Itself’: Roger Ebert gets his movie, and it’s a romance with film, Chaz, Siskel
Roger Ebert (loosely paraphrased) felt movies were “machines” for examining life, an extension of dreams, fears, aspirations and so on, places a person might not otherwise venture. The film “Life Itself,” a documentary about Ebert and his final days, is such a poetic reflection, challenging the viewer to take stock of what a life well-lived should look like and what it might be like to confront death.
Ebert, who grew up of modest means in Illinois, was obsessed at a very young age with newspapers and telling stories. At the University of Illinois he relished being the school paper’s editor and making critical editorial and ethical decisions on matters of world-shaping importance, most notably the assassination of John F. Kennedy. He would later stumble into the post of film critic at the Chicago Sun-Times when being a film critic was not a coveted or much respected job. Along with Pauline Kael, Andrew Sarris and Gene Siskel, he helped redefine the role of the critic and transform it into an art form. Continue reading
For What it's Worth 