When this author was a young woman living in Chicago, she attended the funeral of the great critic Gene Siskel (as friends of his daughter). After Mr. Siskel died, Ebert trudged on, taking his humorous and self-aware approach to movie criticism as both a means to reflect on the human condition and the ways in which films affect our lives.
Roger Ebert lost part of his jaw in 2006, but it never stopped him from expressing his voice. He was technologically savvy, a genius on Twitter, and one of the most reliable film thinkers of a generation. Roger Ebert wasn't just a man of the movies: He was also a true Chicagoan.
He's been off the air for a few years, but has continued reviewing movies until quite recently, when he finally succumbed to his cancer. Not only has the world of cinema lost a great thinker, but Chicago has lost a great man. RIP, to the man who reminded us that the best barometer for politics, technology, communication, and (of course) love was right there on the cinema screen. His last written words: "So on this day of reflection I say again, thank you for going on this journey with me. I'll see you at the movies."(Sun Times)
Photo: Courtesy of @ebertchicago.