Everyone is mortal. But not all mortals can exit with consummate class. Roger Ebert, the Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic, personified the ultimate, final curtain call.
Even after losing the ability to eat and speak in the aftermath of cancer surgery, Ebert never lapsed into self-pity. Instead, he amped his online voice until his fingers finally failed. Hours before he died, he noted ironically that he was taking a “leave of presence.”
Director Steven Spielberg movingly summarized Ebert’s impact on film criticism: “Now the balcony is closed forever.”