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| Ebert | |
|---|---|
| Name | Ebert |
| Birth date | 1942-04-07 |
| Birth place | Urbana, Illinois |
| Occupation | Film critic, journalist, author, television presenter, academic |
| Years active | 1967–2013 |
| Notable works | Roger Ebert's Movie Home Companion; The Great Movies |
| Awards | Pulitzer Prize for Criticism; Peabody Award; National Arts Club Medal |
Ebert
Ebert was an American film critic, journalist, author, and television presenter whose reviews, essays, and broadcasts shaped late 20th-century and early 21st-century film discourse. He wrote for the Chicago Sun-Times for decades, partnered with fellow critic Gene Siskel on influential television programs, and published collections such as The Great Movies that examined works ranging from Citizen Kane to Vertigo and Seven Samurai. His career connected to institutions like the Pulitzer Prize, the American Film Institute, the Cannes Film Festival, the National Society of Film Critics, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Born in Urbana, Illinois, Ebert grew up in a Midwestern setting that included nearby academic communities such as the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign and cultural institutions like the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. He attended Urbana High School before enrolling at the University of Illinois where he studied journalism and worked on the student newspaper, interacting with visiting figures from Time Magazine, Newsweek, and staff from the Chicago Tribune. After graduating, he pursued postgraduate interests linked to American newspaper traditions exemplified by the New York Times and regional outlets including the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune.
Ebert began his professional career at the Sun-Times in the late 1960s, joining a cohort of critics and columnists affiliated with publications such as the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, and The Guardian. He covered film festivals including Sundance Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, and Berlin International Film Festival, reporting on premieres, panels, and retrospectives of directors like Alfred Hitchcock, Akira Kurosawa, Ingmar Bergman, Federico Fellini, and Jean-Luc Godard. His work intersected with film institutions including the American Film Institute, the National Film Registry, and the Film Society of Lincoln Center. He served as a jury member for festivals such as Cannes and advised organizations including the National Endowment for the Arts on cinematic preservation.
Ebert published thousands of reviews and numerous books, contributing to the canon alongside critics from outlets like the New Yorker, London Review of Books, Sight & Sound, and Film Comment. His columns engaged with films from studios including Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures, 20th Century Fox, and indie distributors like Miramax and A24. He wrote at length about auteurs such as Stanley Kubrick, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Wes Anderson, Hayao Miyazaki, and Pedro Almodóvar. Collections like Roger Ebert's Movie Home Companion and The Great Movies catalogued classics including The Godfather, Lawrence of Arabia, Tokyo Story, Pulp Fiction, and The Seventh Seal. He maintained archives comparable to those of critics like Pauline Kael, Andrew Sarris, Bosley Crowther, and Molly Haskell.
Ebert became a national television figure after teaming with Gene Siskel on a series of programs that evolved from Sneak Previews to At the Movies and later Siskel & Ebert & the Movies, producing the memorable "thumbs" format. The show aired on networks including PBS, ABC, Tribune Broadcasting, and in syndication, and featured interviews with filmmakers such as Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Ridley Scott, and Barbra Streisand. He appeared on news programs and talk shows including The Today Show, Good Morning America, Charlie Rose, and The Late Show with David Letterman, and participated in panels at conferences hosted by institutions like the National Press Club and the Paley Center for Media.
Ebert's critical voice balanced accessibility and erudition, placing him in a lineage with critics who influenced public taste such as Roger Greenspun, Renata Adler, and Richard Schickel. He advocated for film preservation through organizations like the National Film Preservation Foundation and supported restoration projects of works by Fritz Lang, Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, D.W. Griffith, and Bob Hope. His endorsements affected box-office performance and helped elevate directors' profiles at ceremonies including the Academy Awards and the Golden Globe Awards. His blog and website paralleled digital platforms like Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, and Letterboxd, shaping online film communities and pedagogy at universities such as Columbia University and New York University.
Ebert received the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism and honors from institutions including the Peabody Awards, the National Society of Film Critics, the American Cinema Editors, and the National Arts Club. Film festivals bestowed honors such as lifetime achievement awards at Sundance and retrospectives at Cannes and the Berlin International Film Festival. He received honorary degrees from universities like the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois, and civic recognitions from the City of Chicago and state cultural agencies.
Ebert's personal life intersected with cultural figures and institutions including collaborators from the Chicago cultural scene, peers at the Chicago Sun-Times, and filmmakers he championed. His illness and medical struggles were widely covered by outlets such as the New York Times and Los Angeles Times, and his perseverance inspired tributes from directors, writers, and actors including Paul Simon, Spike Lee, Quentin Tarantino, Meryl Streep, and Roger Deakins. His archives and essays continue to be consulted by researchers at the Library of Congress, film studies programs at UCLA and USC, and organizations like the British Film Institute, ensuring his influence endures across festivals, academic syllabi, museum exhibitions, and mainstream criticism.
Category:American film critics Category:Pulitzer Prize winners