So often after seeing a movie that was so inspirational, emotional, impactful, I would find a movie review. Not because I wanted to really know about the rating, but rather I wanted to relive the moments.

And there was nobody that I trusted more than Roger Ebert. I rarely ever watched the TV show, but ever since I was 12 I started reading his reviews, discovering his book in the library. He embodied a quality unlike any other—to summarize a movie deftly in words. Not a word wasted. With personal views not to talk about himself, but rather to give the review a different perspective.

There was a period in college when I wanted to be a movie critic and actually created a website here for it called OMG reviews. But then I found that I had nothing inspirational or impactful to say.

Unlike Roger Ebert. Surprisingly, I only just discovered his recent condition. Like so many writers out there, words are not lost by the loss of voice. They are lost when there is no method by which to communicate. And yet he’s more honest and open than any writer. Having worked in creative services for awhile, I am used to the spin employed to shape everything for the better even when worse. What’s admirable is that he doesn’t try to hide it at all. There’s no spin. Because that’s how he is right now.

Being almost silent during most of my life…perhaps embarrassed that I couldn’t speak that well…I preferred the printed word. For many years even now, I prefer the concreteness, the absoluteness of the printed word. It meant that I could think about it. I could explicitly say what I want to say.

Roger Ebert hates one of Chris’ favorite movies—Bad Boys II. He said it was a bloated, unpleasant assembly-line extrusion in which there are a lot of chases and a lot of killings and explosions. All true. Did he change my mind of the movie? Not really. But like many film critics…he offered an opinion. A well-created opinion that built my understanding of the human condition.