The director of HOOP DREAMS and THE INTERRUPTERS profiles the man who popularized film criticism in the United States.
Steve James’ latest project tells the story of Roger Ebert, who, with fellow Chicago critic Gene Siskel, became unlikely celebrities through their weekly television show reviewing movie releases. While their rating system, “Two Thumbs Up,” quickly became familiar to even the most casual filmgoer, the pair’s reviews on air and in print demonstrated a deep love of cinema. After Siskel’s untimely death in 1999, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Ebert continued their show, becoming the most recognizable and influential film critic in the country. A familiar face at film festivals, often in the company of his beloved wife Chaz, and an active presence online, he struggled with various cancer diagnoses for more than a decade before passing away earlier this year. Based on Ebert’s titular memoir, James details the critic’s life and work, drawing on an impressive range of interview subjects, from the film’s executive producer Martin Scorsese to other directors Ebert championed, from Errol Morris to Ava DuVernay.
James and his partners at production company Kartemquin Films have about three weeks left in an Indiegogo campaign for post-production support. To date, they’ve reached more than one-third of their $150,000 goal. To keep updated, including joining the project’s mailing list, visit the doc’s website.
While the film and film critic communities deeply felt Ebert’s loss, his influence clearly extended beyond these insular groups or his own local readership to reach the wider general public for the past several decades, moreso than any other newspaper critic. Beyond his criticism, James’ film explores other less-known aspects to Ebert’s life, such as his collaborations with Russ Meyer, and his more private battles with alcoholism and cancer, offering an often surprising and illuminating ode to a man who loved movies.
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