R.I.P. Roger Ebert

The Chicago Sun-Times has just confirmed that Roger Ebert passed away this morning in Chicago. He had just announced on his blog that he would be taking a "leave of presence," due to a recurrence of cancer. I knew that he was sick again, but I was thunderstruck to learn that he had died.

I feel like Roger Ebert is practically a family member. When I was a kid, one of our few family rituals was watching "At The Movies." My father was a big fan, and although technically it aired every week after my bedtime, I was always allowed to stay up late so that we could watch it together. I can't think of the show without thinking of my father roaring with laughter, even if I didn't always get the joke.

As I grew into a movie buff of my own, I discovered that I almost always agreed with Ebert's reviews, which made them a valuable guide post in a world of VHS tape abundance. I was only allowed to rent one movie a week (they were so expensive!) so it behooved me to choose carefully. The video store we frequented had a giant book that included Ebert's capsule reviews. I learned to skim the book looking for Ebert's four-star ratings. (I found that his five-star movies were often a little too complex for my teenage self.)

Later, in my 20s, I started up my own movie review site. This was 1996 and the Internet was a new thing, and I did quite well, given the relative lack of competition. But I found myself struggling with some aspects of writing reviews, and on a whim one day I e-mailed Ebert to ask for his advice. He replied with a kind and thoughtful e-mail with great advice for a young kid and random stranger, and I have always remembered it.

Ebert fought a long and difficult fight against cancer. He won many of the battles and lived life on his own terms, even though cancer eventually won the war. I will miss him acutely.

Image of Roger Ebert and Jason Reitman courtesy Flickr/Kanaka Menehune