Art often works differently depending on context. A
moving piece of classical music might resonate more played by a symphony in a theater than in your living room. The best works of fiction strike different chords
depending on where the reader is in his or her own life. And the best films
have not remained rooted in the year that they were released but remained timeless
and open to reinterpretation. I’ve been lucky enough to experience “Life Itself,”
the documentary by Steve James based on Roger Ebert’s memoir that opens in
theaters this Friday, July 4, 2014, with three markedly different audiences.
The first, at Sundance, felt a lot like his memorial, as dozens of writers who
knew they probably wouldn’t be there if not for Roger mourned the loss of a professional
mentor and friend. Three months later, at Ebertfest, the tone was that of the
first family reunion after the passing of a patriarch—still somber but comforted
by the emotional embrace of a theatre full of people who adored its subject.
Last night, the Museum of Contemporary Art was the setting for the Chicago
premiere of “Life Itself,” attended by Steve James, Chaz Ebert, and many of the
people involved in the Chicago-based production of the film. What I took away
from last night was the life-affirming, inspirational message of the film.
Laughter, applause, and admiration for not just what Roger accomplished but how
he lived his life filled the air.
The night began with a cocktail reception and red carpet
that enhanced the positive tone of this screening. In a large space with
massive windows, guests mingled over boxes of movie candy and centerpieces
inspired by theater snacks. Critics, publicists, and the people who made “Life
Itself” seemed joyful to view it in the city that Ebert so clearly adored. As
the film points out, publications on both coasts tried to woo Roger away from
the Windy City but he steadfastly remained in the Midwest, forever changing
film criticism by proving it could not only exist outside of New York or L.A. but
thrive. There was a sense at the Chicago premiere that this wasn’t just another
city, another screening—it was the Hometown premiere.
And that sense was amplified in an introduction by Governor
Pat Quinn, who proclaimed June 30, 2014, “Life Itself Day.” After a few brief
words from Chaz—who gave the film “two thumbs up, one for Roger, one for Steve”—the
final version of the film that will be released this Friday in theaters and On
Demand was shown. Again, the response was multi-tiered. The laughs are always
bigger than people expect; the emotions deeper. For me, this time offered a
sense of how we now move on without Roger Ebert, taking not just his
professional inspiration but learning how to go through our lives by so
candidly viewing his. There are uncomfortably raw moments of human suffering in
“Life Itself” but James is careful to end every single one with a moment of
affirmation, whether it be a thumbs up from Roger or just that sparkle in his
eyes. “Life Itself” is a portrait of a man who dealt with unimaginable pain and
never turned away from it but pushed through it.
There’s a heartbreaking moment in “Life Itself” in which
Roger, in emails, chooses to tell Steve something that Chaz may not have wanted
him to know, reminding the director that he wants to make as honest a
documentary as possible. Ebert writes, “This is not only your film.” I was
struck by those words this time. Roger believed a film was not only the
property of the person who made it but also whom it was about, and, ultimately,
the viewer. It is a film that belongs to all of us now.
This was a sentiment echoed in the Q&A after the Chicago
premiere, moderated by an old friend and colleague of Roger’s, Laura Emerick of
The Chicago Sun-Times. She mentioned the life-affirming aspect of the film
shortly after Steve took a chance to thank the production staff that was in the
theater, including his two sons. The line that one can easily draw from Roger’s
review of “Hoop Dreams” to his decision to open his life to a film production
to the people in that theater of the Chicago premiere who will now hopefully move
on to great things is crystal clear. Roger’s impact is far from over. Emerick
took the chance to quote one of Ebert’s favorites, “The Grapes of Wrath,” when
Tom Joad says, “I’ll be all around in the dark—I’ll be everywhere.” The Chicago
premiere of “Life Itself” reminded us exactly where Roger Ebert is in today’s
movie world: everywhere.
