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And in his personal writings, as in his reviews and essays, he always achieved a feeling of immediacy and accessibility and signed off in missives in his trademark manner: "Cheers, R."
But Roger made everything feel personal, didn't he? That's why we're seeing such grief upon the news of his death. We all felt as if we knew him. He turned the discussion of films that might've seemed too artsy or intimidatingly intellectual into comfortable conversations. At the same time, he remained capable of walking into a movie -- any movie, in any genre -- with an open mind after decades as a towering force in this business. He always wanted to be dazzled, just as he did when he was a kid. And he'd find the time to scribble a kind word or two in his ever-present notepad before the lights went down.
Once he was no longer able to speak, he turned his blog into an outpouring of musings on every topic imaginable, from alcoholism to atheism. In some ways, I actually enjoyed his writings on subjects outside of film even more. They reflected a curiosity, a yearning to be a citizen of the world rather than just a big fish in a particular pond.
I'll miss Roger Ebert, the Pulitzer prize-winning film critic. I'll miss Roger, my friend, so much more.
[Associated
Press;
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