Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert
Sound Opinions · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Name	Roger Ebert
Caption	Ebert in 2012
Birth date	March 18, 1942
Birth place	Urbana, Illinois, United States
Death date	April 4, 2013
Death place	Chicago, Illinois, United States
Occupation	Film critic, journalist, screenwriter, author
Known for	Film criticism, television critic shows, film festivals

Roger Ebert

Roger Joseph Ebert was an American film critic, journalist, screenwriter, and author whose reviews and commentary helped shape modern film criticism and popular appreciation of cinema. He wrote for the Chicago Sun-Times for 46 years and reached a broad audience through television partnerships, books, and online writing, influencing generations of critics and filmmakers. Ebert's work intersected with institutions such as the Cannes Film Festival, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and the National Society of Film Critics.

Early life and education

Born in Urbana, Illinois, Ebert grew up in a Midwestern family; his paternal grandparents emigrated from Russia and his maternal grandparents from Switzerland. He attended Central High School and enrolled at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign, where he edited the student newspaper, the Daily Illini, and studied alongside peers who later worked at publications like the New Yorker and the Los Angeles Times. Ebert graduated with degrees in Journalism and Political Science and later completed a master's degree in Speech at the University of Illinois. Early influences included film critics at publications such as the New York Times and writers like Pauline Kael, Andrew Sarris, and Bosley Crowther.

Career

Ebert began his professional career at the Chicago Sun-Times in 1966, succeeding critic Hedda Hopper's contemporaries in a city with a robust media environment including the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Reader. He gained national prominence after winning the first Pulitzer Prize for Criticism awarded in 1975, joining other Pulitzer recipients such as Molly Ivins and Herbert Block. Ebert collaborated frequently with television personalities and critics, including Gene Siskel, with whom he co-hosted programs that brought film discourse to broadcast audiences. His critical voice engaged with filmmakers such as Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Stanley Kubrick, Akira Kurosawa, and Ingmar Bergman, and he served on juries at festivals like Cannes Film Festival and Berlin International Film Festival.

Film criticism and writing

Ebert authored thousands of reviews for the Chicago Sun-Times and numerous books, including collections of criticism and books on film history and technique, interacting with film scholars and practitioners from institutions such as the Film Society of Lincoln Center and the British Film Institute. He championed both mainstream directors like Steven Spielberg and Clint Eastwood and independent auteurs such as John Cassavetes, Jim Jarmusch, and Wim Wenders, influencing box-office reception and festival selections. Ebert's review style combined accessible prose with references to cinematic traditions traced to Sergei Eisenstein, D.W. Griffith, Orson Welles, and Alfred Hitchcock, and he engaged in debates with contemporaries like Pauline Kael and Andrew Sarris about auteur theory and popular taste. He also co-wrote screenplays and film projects, collaborating with figures including Russ Meyer and participating in adaptations related to works by Harper Lee and Ray Bradbury.

Television and multimedia work

Ebert's television partnership with Gene Siskel produced programs such as Sneak Previews, At the Movies, and Siskel & Ebert, which innovated on-format criticism for PBS and Syndication and brought televised review shows into mainstream media alongside entertainment programs from The Tonight Show and 60 Minutes. The duo's "two thumbs up" phrase became part of popular culture and influenced how films were marketed by studios like Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, and 20th Century Fox. Beyond television, Ebert embraced early internet publishing through collaborations with outlets including the Chicago Sun-Times website and blogging platforms, engaging with online communities at sites associated with critics such as A.O. Scott and Manohla Dargis. He hosted film festivals, participated in panels with organizations like the National Film Registry and the Library of Congress, and contributed to multimedia projects with broadcasters such as the BBC and NPR.

Personal life and health

Ebert married Chaz Ebert (born Chaz Hammelsmith) in 1992; previous marriages included unions with Nancy Ebert and Robin Ebert, and his personal circle included friends and colleagues like Gene Siskel, Martin Scorsese, and Roger Corman. In 2002, Ebert was diagnosed with cancer of the salivary gland and underwent surgeries that led to the loss of his lower jaw and changes to his voice; his recovery intersected with medical centers and specialists at hospitals such as Rush University Medical Center and the University of Illinois Hospital. He continued writing despite health challenges and used electronic communication to engage with readers and colleagues including Richard Roeper, who succeeded Siskel as Ebert's television partner. Ebert died in Chicago on April 4, 2013.

Awards and legacy

Ebert received numerous honors including the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism (1975), membership in the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and lifetime achievement awards from organizations such as the National Society of Film Critics and the Society of Professional Journalists. His influence is evident in institutions and initiatives like the Roger Ebert Film Festival (also known as "Ebertfest") at the University of Illinois and the inclusion of many of his reviews in archives at the Library of Congress. Filmmakers including Quentin Tarantino, David Lynch, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Wes Anderson cited Ebert's writing as formative, and contemporary critics such as A.O. Scott and Manohla Dargis acknowledge his role in shaping public film discourse. Ebert's collected reviews, books, and televised programs continue to be referenced in academic and cultural discussions at venues like the Museum of Modern Art and university film programs.

Category:American film critics Category:Pulitzer Prize winners