Roger Ebert recieving his Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 2005.

Mr. Roger Ebert has been a great inspiration of mine and when I had problems with feedback or even writing my own criticism, I looked towards his actions for guidance. What many people do not realize is that being a film critic is not a big party at the movies everyday, but it’s a long process of going to as many movies as you can see and speaking your mind about them. You have to deal with the stress of writing reviews, seeing horrible films, and contemplating what kind of feedback you are going to get. Occasionally, it’s nasty. There is however the magic feeling you get, goose bumps, the chill you get down your spine when you are experiencing a truly great film or even a magical musical score.

Roger Ebert has been through many of these experiences and knows the true joys that are acquirable from just sitting in a cold dark room with over 100 seats. He graciously offers his opinion of films to help the viewing audience avoid or motivate people to seeing a movie. There is way to many things in this world that people take for granted, the environment, their parents, their money, love, etc. One of the largest things that people take for granted is of high importance to people around the globe and because they take it so for granted, they don’t even realize they are. Roger Ebert.

As many of you know, years ago Roger Ebert was diagnosed with cancer. Recently, Ebert was undergoing surgery for complications regarding a cancerous tumor near his salivary gland when a blood vessel burst and he entered serious condition. As of last week he was reported to be in serious, but stable condition. Minutes ago I visited his website to see if he continued to post his reviews, which were absent, but I did come across a statement from his wife, Chaz speaking of his progress:

I am happy to report that Roger is in stable condition and is improving each day. He has an excellent medical team led by Doctors Harold Pelzer, Neil Fine and Robert Havey, and they are optimistic about his recovery. We have every confidence in their abilities.

Medical issues aside, I am asking you to pray for Roger during his period of recovery and to visualize him being enveloped in healing light.

Roger would also want you to go out to the movies. He gives you permission to see even those movies that don’t have his personal “Thumbs Up.”

Thank you for your kind thoughts, words and prayers.

– Chaz Ebert

At age 64, Roger Ebert has accomplished so many achievements most other critics could only dream of.

-Hollywood Walk of Fame
~Received a Star, the first professional critic to be given this honor (2005)

-CINE Competition
~CINE Lifetime Achievement Award (2005)

-Savannah Film and Video Festival
~Lifetime Achievement Award

-The American Society of Cinematographers
~Special Achievement Award (2003)

-DVD Exclusive Awards
~Best Audio Commentary (Citizen Kane, 2001)

-The Pulitzer Prize
~Achievement in Film Criticism (the first for a movie critic, 1975)

-Has seen thousands of films in his lifetime.

-Published various books dealing with Film Criticism, discussion on the movies, and even clichés.

-Co-wrote the screenplay for Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.

-His reviews are syndicated to 200-300 newspapers across the United States and abroad.

-Hosts Roger Ebert’s Overlooks Film Festival in Champaign, Illinois and has so since 1999.

I am happy to know that Roger Ebert is recovering, hopefully he’ll be back on his feet within a few weeks so he can get back to doing what he loves. Going to the movies, for that is the only cure that heal almost any wound. Even after I’ve completed my own review of a movie, I’ll surf the net for a bit to see what others have to say. The first website I always float to is Rogerebert.com . What many people do not see in Roger Ebert is that he may be a film critic, but in his reviews, you can tell he is also a director. Every one of his reviews opens in a cinematic storytelling style and each reader is his audience having feedback to his opinion.

People across the Internet, especially The Internet Movie Database, have always wondered if there were to be a new category at The Academy Awards, what would it be? Now it’s quite simple, Achievement in Film Criticism. Roger Ebert would be the first nominee to cross my mind and would also have my favor to win.

Before Roger Ebert, there wasn’t a lot to film criticism, just a little “ok this is good, ok this stinks.” With Ebert, he has brought true opinion, and emotion to film criticism, so that every review he has written is a treat to his readers, whether they agree or disagree. Without Roger Ebert, the world would have just been a place where everybody has an opinion, but nobody is listening. That would be the big problem. Imagine a world without opinion and not listening to both sides of a personal view. Imagine a world without Roger Ebert, would so many current film critics even be so? I probably wouldn’t and I’m guessing a few of my close critic friends probably wouldn’t be either.

Film Criticism has a style. Film criticism has a heart. Film Criticism has a raised thumb. Film Criticism has a name.
Thank you Roger Ebert, you have helped to change the world,

-Max Einhorn and The Maximum Movies team (as well as anyone who has ever been to a movie theater and felt the magic.)