In 2012, as the Associated Press’s decision to limit entertainment writers to 500 words cast a shadow over the future of film criticism, Roger Ebert wrote an impassioned defense of his profession. In his essay “Death to film critics! Hail to the CelebCult!,” Ebert argued against the notion that a critic’s purpose is to simply reflect the views of the audience.
“A newspaper film critic should encourage critical thinking,” he wrote, “introduce new developments, consider the local scene, look beyond the weekend fanboy specials, be a weatherman on social trends, bring in a larger context, teach, inform, amuse, inspire, be heartened, be outraged.”
Ebert embodied these principles throughout his career. While innumerable reviews exemplify this commitment, his effusive appraisal of “Lakeview Terrace” stands as a prime example (though Ebert’s negative take on a certain Oscar-winning ’90s crime…
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