By Casey Campbell

Life Itself is an honest and poignant portrayal of Roger Ebert living “the movie of [his] life.” A documentary based on Ebert’s own memoir of the same name, Life Itself is equal parts funny and hopeful, while also being heartbreaking and solemn. It meditates on what success means, and how love can fill a void you always knew you had, but never knew how to fill. But most of all, it told the story of a man’s life, and how he made the most of it despite illness and handicap. It never expounds on the notion of “life itself” or what that even means, but I think there’s a beauty in that. Life is just that, life. What you do with it is up to you, and Ebert lived his life to the fullest. It wasn’t easy watching my hero slowly die, but the film delivered a substantial look into the man’s life, a life dedicated to movies, and it truly resonated.

“I was born inside the movie of my life… I don’t remember how I got into the movie, but it continues to entertain me.”

Buy the film: Life Itself

Buy the book: Life Itself: A Memoir