Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was a renowned American film critic, born on June 18, 1942, and passing away on April 4, 2013. He was widely regarded as one of the most influential film critics in the world. Ebert is best known for his long-running television program Siskel & Ebert, which he co-hosted with Gene Siskel. The show popularized the film review format, where they would rate films with a "thumbs up" or "thumbs down," a concept that became iconic in the world of movie criticism.

Ebert's career spanned over four decades, during which he wrote for the Chicago Sun-Times and won the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 1975. His eloquent and insightful reviews, along with his passion for cinema, made him a trusted voice for moviegoers and filmmakers alike.

In addition to his work as a critic, Ebert authored several books on film and even wrote screenplays, including the script for Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970). Despite his battle with thyroid cancer, which led to the loss of his ability to speak, Ebert continued to write prolifically and communicate with his audience until his death in 2013. His legacy remains a significant influence on the film criticism world.

Articles by the author

I begin to feel like most Americans don't understand the First Amendment, don't understand the idea of freedom of speech, and don't understand that it's the responsibility of the citizen to speak out.

Roger Ebert

The right really dominates radio, and it's amazing how much energy the right spends telling us that the press is slanted to the left when it really isn't. They want to shut other people up. They really don't understand the First Amendment.

Roger Ebert

One sign of a great actor is when he can be alone by himself on the screen, doing almost nothing, and producing one of a film's defining moments.

Roger Ebert

It is quite possible for the vulgar to be funny, but to succeed, it must rise to a certain genius.

Roger Ebert

I've never found kicks to the groin particularly funny, although recent work in the genre of the buddy movie suggests audience research must prove me wrong.

Roger Ebert

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.

Roger Ebert

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.

Roger Ebert

There's nothing like impending death to rouse you from existential boredom.

Roger Ebert

Your intellect may be confused, but your emotions will never lie to you.

Roger Ebert

But considering that I walked in expecting no complexity at all, let alone the visual wonderments, 'Snow White and the Huntsman' is a considerable experience.

Roger Ebert

Parents and schools should place great emphasis on the idea that it is all right to be different. Racism and all the other 'isms' grow from primitive tribalism, the instinctive hostility against those of another tribe, race, religion, nationality, class or whatever. You are a lucky child if your parents taught you to accept diversity.

Roger Ebert

If your religion doesn't respect the rights of other religions, it is lacking something.

Roger Ebert

Every great film should seem new every time you see it.

Roger Ebert

Most of us do not consciously look at movies.

Roger Ebert

It often strikes me that the actors in high school movies look too old.

Roger Ebert

My motto: 'No good movie is depressing. All bad movies are depressing.'

Roger Ebert

Movies that encourage empathy are more effective than those that objectify problems.

Roger Ebert

By going to the movies, and because of other things, too, going to college, making a wide variety of friends, moving around traveling, I became a lot more open-minded than the heritage I was born into might have suggested.

Roger Ebert

We can now have action movies with two stars where one might be African American and one might be Asian American. One of them doesn't have to be white, and the other one doesn't have to be the ethnic sidekick. We're way over that. And I think it's happening in society, too.

Roger Ebert

A lot of people just go to movies that feed into their preexisting and not so noble needs and desires: They just go to action pictures, and things like that.

Roger Ebert