Roger Ebert’s Health Update
I am a long-time fan of Ebert’s reviews, both written and on television. I started watching At the Movies when he was auditioning new partners for the late Gene Siskel’s chair. Sometime last year, Ebert went for cancer treatment, and has not yet returned. Here, he details why not.
I’ve continued to watch At the Movies with Richard Roeper while Ebert’s been gone. I’ve liked seeing Roeper grow as a critic over the years, at least in part because of working with Ebert. I don’t always agree with what they say, but I do respect their opinions. Roeper has had a rotating band of guest critics. Several have been quite good, like A.O. Scott from The New York Times and Lisa Schwarzbaum from Entertainment Weekly. I was both surprised and impressed with the critical insights from Aisha Tyler, Kevin Smith, and Jay Leno. Others have disappointed, like Fred Willard and John Mellencamp. Since Ebert still can’t talk, I don’t think he’ll be back soon. But Roeper’s doing a good job holding down the balcony, and I hope they can keep the good guests coming till Roger is better.