Remembering Roger Ebert

"I've lost the love of my life and the world has lost a visionary and a creative and generous spirit who touched so many people all over the world." — Ebert's wife, Chaz

• • •

"Roger loved movies. They were his life. His reviews went far deeper than simply thumbs up or thumbs down. Along with Gene Shalit, Joel Siegel, and of course Gene Siskel, Roger put television criticism on the map. Roger's passing is virtually the end of an era and now the balcony is closed forever." — Steven Spielberg

• • •

"Roger was the movies. When he didn't like a film, he was honest; when he did, he was effusive — capturing the unique power of the movies to take us somewhere magical. — President Obama

• • •

"Roger Ebert was one of the great champions of freedom of artistic expression. When the power of independent film was still unknown and few would support it, Roger was there for our artists. His personal passion for cinema was boundless, and that is sure to be his legacy for generations to come." — Robert Redford

"From the mightiest blockbuster to the smallest independent film, Roger Ebert devoted his career to sharing his love of film with generations of moviegoers. The role of critics is to call them as they see them and Roger did so with integrity." — Directors Guild of America President Taylor Hackford

• • •

"With a knowledge of his subject as deep as his love for his wife Chaz, Roger Ebert will be remembered for the strength of his work, respected for his courage in the face of illness, and revered for his contribution to filmmaking and to our city. The final reel of his life may have run through to the end, but his memory will never fade." — Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel

• • •

"I was perfectly content before I was born, and I think of death as the same state. I am grateful for the gifts of intelligence, love, wonder and laughter. You can't say it wasn't interesting." — Roger Ebert, writing in 2011 about death