'Life Itself' is a tribute to Roger Ebert and the human spirit

Roger Ebert

I've been a longtime fan of Roger Ebert and I was devastated when he passed away in 2013. He was a great, underrated writer and his life story -- told in the moving documentary Life Itself -- is a real triumph of the human spirit.

Despite his weight and less-than-matinee-idol looks he was a cocky guy, which made him something of a ladies' man before he settled down with his soulmate Chaz. He was someone who could appreciate the work of Russ Meyer (who he wrote films for) and Martin Scorsese. I didn't always agree with him (he didn't like Full Metal Jacket, for instance), but I respected his talent and his mind.

Film criticism is something of a dying art form these days. More people get their reviews from a taxicab in New York or in brief blurbs from Rotten Tomatoes, instead of lucid, thought-provoking prose from the likes of Pauline Kael.

Ebert's appeal was far more "everyman" than that of celebrated critic, but that doesn't make it any less worthwhile. There's a reason the man won a Pulitzer Prize -- he could really write, and write well. In Life Itself, another critic I admire, the New York Times' A.O. Scott, described Ebert as "the definitive mainstream movie critic," and I think that's fitting.

Siskel & Ebert

He was someone who not only reviewed the latest blockbusters, he championed independent films and up-and-coming filmmakers. Several directors owe their breakthroughs to Ebert, including the man behind Life Itself, documentarian Steve James (who made one of Ebert's favorite films Hoop Dreams).

Sure, the thumbs up thing was transgressive and simplistic but Ebert was anything but. And the most powerful thing about Life Itself is Ebert's passion for living and his big heart. His wife Chaz also emerges as a real hero and an example of the kind of life partner we all dream of having.

After losing Stuart Scott at the young age of 49 this week, and even Ebert's longtime sparring partner years ago at the age of 53, it's hard not to think of one's own mortality these days. As I write this I am only 32 years old, but I am often reminded that every day is a gift and life is meant for the living.

This sentiment could be construed as cheesy but when you see the life the Ebert lived you can only think of a line like that with awe.