Ebert Can't Catch a Break

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

12 Apr 2008 12:08 PM

It's true; the legendary film critic can't seem to stay healthy enough to carry on with life the way he once knew it.

Regular readers of this blog know that I have been following Roger Ebert's health struggles very closely. The 65-year-old Chicago Sun-Times movie critic has had a series of cancer-related surgeries in the past few years. One left him unable to speak while others were just precursors to more intrusive operations.

Still, somehow Ebert has come back from each swinging. In fact, he recently announced that he was planning to appear at the kick off to his 10th annual film festival in Champaign-Urbana. However, now it looks as though that will not happen after all.

Tragedy has once again struck the co-host of TV's "Ebert & Roeper." According to news reports, the Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic will not be able to attend the film festival he created because he is recovering from a hip injury.

"A broken hip adds to my tour of medical adventures. My current plan is to take it easy, obey the doctors' orders, and start writing reviews again," Ebert recently wrote on his blog. "In the meantime, my heart will be in Urbana."

The famous film reviewer grew up in Champaign-Urbana and graduated from the University of Illinois. For the past decade, he's held a film festival that bares his name in the twin cities to highlight movies he thinks have been overlooked.

The 10th annual Ebertfest at the University of Illinois kicks off on April 23rd and will feature more than a dozen films this year. Kenneth Branagh's four-hour version of "Hamlet" is scheduled to open this year's festival. In addition, Ebertfest will feature appearances by Ang Lee, Paul Schrader, Christine Lahti, Joey Pantoliano and Aida Turturro.

You have to feel for the guy. After all that he has gone through and all that he has done to battle back from cancer, to be sidelined with a hip injury--it's just a shame.

Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

View Full Profile | More from this Blogger