Life Itself (2014)

Dir: Steve James

I don't know the year but at some point after my family moved to the Chicagoland area we started reading the Chicago Sun-Times. My favourite day to read the newspaper was Friday because that edition contained film review after review; many of them written by Roger Ebert. I would read the reviews by Ebert even for films that I had no interest in seeing (I wonder how many of those films that the youthful me ignored that the adult me cherished after a viewing). I hoped that Ebert gave a good review to a film that I wanted to see so I could use it to persuade my father to take me to see it. I can still remember Ebert's review of John Boorman's EXCALIBUR. The trailer on broadcast television with its promise of swords and sorcery had me eager to see the film. Not yet old enough to drive I had to rely on dear old Dad to be interested in a film and take me to the theatre. Ebert gave the film 2 1/2 stars. I was worried that the above average rating was not enough for my Dad but he must have seen enough in the trailer to want to see the film despite Ebert's tepid review (Helen Mirren perhaps?). Sadly, Ebert's rave review of George Romero's DAWN OF THE DEAD was not enough to persuade Dad to take me to the R-Rated re-release.

From newspaper, to television, to web site, I followed Ebert. His words prompted me to rent MY DINNER WITH ANDRE! His thumb up meant that I would spend the bucks to see a film in a theatre instead of waiting for its release on video. He taught me to look at a film with a critical eye.

Steve (HOOP DREAMS) James' documentary is based on Ebert's autobiography of the same name. Filming of the documentary started just months prior to Ebert's death. We see him in a hospital bed, his lower jaw having been removed due to cancer. He is at his worst, no longer able to speak or to eat. His fight against cancer has been raging for years. He is also at his best. Loving wife Chaz is at his side, as are his step-children. He hasn't stopped writing, and a re-design of his web site is in its final stage. And his eyes are bright and show his love of life and all it is; good, bad and indifferent.

Over the course of two hours the documentary follows Ebert from his home town of Urbana Illinois, to his first newspaper job, to moving to Chicago to study at the University of Chicago, stumbling into the role of film reviewer at the Sun-Times, to working with rival Gene Siskel and being propelled to America's most popular critic, and to finding the love of his life. Ebert's thoughts along the way are spoken by impersonator Stephen Stanton. We are privy to the excessive drinking at a local watering hole (where it is said that Ebert often showed up with he ugliest of women), his foibles as recounted by co-workers and witness the pure joy of vacationing around the world with his family.

It's an often sad tale but one I enjoyed. It was a pleasure to spend a bit more time with the man.

**** out of ****