CNN produced a film to honor the life and times of Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic Roger Ebert, who died from cancer at the age of 70 in April 2013. Life Itself will air Sunday, January 4 at 9pm on CNN. Although his career was remarkable – “when Ebert’s battle with cancer at the end of his life left him without the ability to speak, he responded by becoming an even-more-prolific writer online” – he was also said to be on a quest for love.
Life Itself has been promoted heavily on CNN which has irked some viewers including Elliott Jacks who wrote on the CNN Facebook page: “How many fn times do I need to see the promo.” But others are quick to defend Ebert’s legacy. “He wrote his own obituary in anticipation of his impending death. I have laminated it and take it out for inspiration…that’s why he is worthy of a movie. For that reason alone,” wrote Jordan Shifrin. Ebert fan Mary Quintero chimed in: “He deserves a movie not so much for his career choice but because he lived courageously in front of adversity and cancer. even when he couldn’t speak properly he kept on going. truly an inspiration and in my book… that is enough to grant you a biopic.”
