A lot of folks already know that Ebert wrote the screenplay for the 1970 cult classic “Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.” They also may remember years ago when he outed himself as a recovering alcoholic. And when Ebert and Gene Siskel launched their TV review show in the 1970s, most people know they didn’t get along at first. “Life Itself,” includes a Siskel-Ebert squabble so snarky it’ll make you squirm with discomfort.
The move reminds us that the fame of someone like Ebert, who lost his battle with cancer in 2013, may fool us into thinking we knew him almost like a friend or a neighbor down the street.
But of course fame has always been good at casting illusions.
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Related: ‘Selma’ star’s incredible transformation
Read Ebert’s review of DuVernay’s film, “I Will Follow”
Read Ebert’s blog post: Memories of two beloved aunts
