“‘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 ot 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.”
When it comes to people who review movies, there are few names quite as well known as Siskel and Ebert. Gene Siskel passed away several years ago and, this past Thursday, he was joined by the man with whom he shared that balcony for so many years, Mr. Roger Ebert. You may not have always agreed with his opinion on movies, but you always respected what he had to say. He was insight and great with words.
Yes, Roger Ebert was best known for reviewing movies and you might remember in 2011 when I used him as an example of why you don’t have to play to critique. He wasn’t one to produce or direct movies. He wasn’t one to act either, but he sure knew how to recognize the elements that make one movie positively spellbinding and another movie utterly forgettable. And, as the quote above clearly illustrates, he also learned one of life’s important lessons.
Politics can get very tricky and it can get very divisive. Both sides of any given argument will feel that they are right and they could easily bring up a number of valid points. However, at the end of the day, I think all of us would agree with Roger here that our political beliefs really should boil down to the simple yet complex concept of kindness. We want to help our fellow man and we also want to help ourselves in the process. The challenge is figuring how the best way to get there.
And yes, even though Roger’s negative reviews may have brought some unhappiness to the people behind those movies, he ultimately made our world a better place with his wit, insight and recommendations. It’s no wonder that he worked as a film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times for nearly 50 years. It must have made him happy and we’re happier for it. Indeed, fellow Chicago columnist once said that Ebert was “without question the nation’s most prominent and influential film critic.” And he also one of the most loved.
We’ll miss you, Roger. You’ll always be two thumbs up in our books.
I was very sad to hear the news of Roger’s passing. He brought a lot to the world of movies. I used to watch his movie review show when I was younger. If I caught it on TV I would always watch and just loved to hear Roger’s reviews. He will be missed.
I never missed a week when he did his show with Gene Siskel. I know that dates me, but this man was the best in the business. He actually made movie reviewers more respected, but he alone could not bring the whole profession to the level of a real review.
What I will miss is that the reviews he did were about the movie and whether the average viewer would like the movie. He was the average man you could relate to.
And that’s something that I really respected too. Unlike so many “greater than thou” reviewers, Roger was just as likely to give a thumbs-up to a popcorn-munching Hollywood blockbuster as he was to an indie art house flick.