DEAR CHICAGO SUN-TIMES:
I AM HONORED that the words of my late husband, Roger Ebert, will once again be featured in the paper he loyally served for 46 years. Many people at Roger’s Memorial Service affirmed how he was, at his core, a newspaper man. And Steve James documented in “Life Itself,” the film about Roger, the devotion Roger felt toward his adopted hometown. That devotion caused him to turn down offers that would have sent him to either of the coasts. He greatly valued his position as a writer, not only of movie reviews, but of editorials and other articles about life itself.
I can clearly remember the late nights in which Roger would be typing away furiously, completing several articles in a row. These weren’t disposable knee-jerk reactions that would be forgotten as soon as readers tossed their papers in the recycling bin. Roger’s reviews and articles were written to stand the test of time. I hope his insights will resonate with today’s audiences every bit as much as when they were first published.
Roger was also so proud of being associated with a city of multiple newspapers. Over the years we may have lost the Chicago Daily News and other publications, and we are all aware of the struggles of remaining a two-newspaper town. But I can assure you that although Roger was also a technologist who loved the internet, he would be truly pleased that his words are once again appearing in newsprint. Thank you to the Chicago Sun-Times for providing Roger’s voice with this platform, and for preserving the local perspectives that make newspapers an essential read.
Sincerely,
Chaz Ebert
THE FOLLOWING ANNOUNCEMENT was published today by Robert Feder at RobertFeder.com.
THE IMMORTAL PROSE of Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic Roger Ebert will be appearing again in the pages of the Chicago Sun-Times, his home newspaper for 46 years.
Starting Friday, the Sun-Times will republish a classic piece, billed as “From the Ebert Archive,” in its weekly movie section. First up will be Ebert’s 2½-star review of “Independence Day,” the 1996 film starring Will Smith.
A Chicago legend and the most famous film critic in history, Ebert died in 2013 at 70 after a heroic battle with cancer. His wife, Chaz Ebert, has preserved a digital archive of Ebert’s work at RogerEbert.com, a website dedicated to his memory. It also features current reviews and essays from a multitude of critics.
Jim Kirk, publisher and editor-in-chief of the Sun-Times, announced the agreement Thursday in cooperation with Chaz Ebert.
“Roger Ebert is such an essential part of the Sun-Times history,” Kirk said. “His reviews were revered not just for the authoritative criticism but also for the timelessness of the writing. Roger loved his craft. The Sun-Times audience loved Roger. We are honored and thrilled that we could collaborate with Chaz Ebert to bring back a little bit of Roger every week.”
Ebert was succeeded as film critic by Richard Roeper, his longtime colleague at the Sun-Times and co-host of the syndicated movie-review show “Ebert & Roeper” for eight years.