The weekend of August 14-15, 2010, has arrived and with it, the last episode of At the Movies. Unlike the relaunch of the show in July 2008 when hosts Ben Lyons and Ben Mankiewicz only made passing mention of the show's history, current hosts Michael Phillips and A.O. Scott devoted half of the final episode to the illustrious past of At the Movies.
Reviews of Current Releases
Given the long history of the show, it is a little surprising the episode still made time for reviews of three new releases: Eat Pray Love, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and The Expendables. The reviews for each film were relatively brief, averaging about five minutes apiece, but this meant that they took up the first half of the show.
This may have been disappointing for loyal viewers hoping to see more clips from past shows, especially those featuring creators Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel. While the last few episodes of At the Movies have included highlights from previous shows—including Roger Ebert's infamous tirade against Bill Cosby in his review of Leonard, Part 6 —those were simply clips shown with just a brief introduction. A show that dates back to 1975 would seem to warrant at least a full episode's worth of discussion.
The Look Back
The review of the show's history began with the classic Siskel & Ebert opening—where its hosts walked through the streets of Chicago—shown in its entirety. Phillips and Scott then talked about the beginnings of the show's format and how original hosts Siskel and Ebert pioneered it on a PBS show 35 years ago.
Michael Phillips observed that the concept behind the Chicago critics' show was a simple one: two people talking and often debating about movies. Phillips then noted how the show "quickly went from a novelty to an institution".
This point is quite remarkable considering the programme's humble beginnings. Were such a show launched today with just two people talking and a microscopic budget, it would be a cable access show that would struggle to reach a mainstream audience.
Clips From Siskel & Ebert and Its Successors
The segment continued with clips of Siskel and Ebert discussing
- Hoop Dreams (1994) with Siskel singing its praises, noting how the NBA hopefuls in the film had more engaging stories than most fictitious characters
- Benji: The Hunted (1987) where Gene Siskel heavily criticized the film for being boring, much to the chagrin of Roger Ebert
- Cop and a Half (1993) where Ebert utterly surprised his co-host with a thumbs up vote
- Broken Arrow (1996) with Siskel changing his vote from thumbs up to down after hearing his partner's review
During the clip of a review for Boyfriends and Girlfriends (1987) where Roger Ebert recounts a story from his teen years, Michael Phillips noted that the show creators "remind[ed] us that film criticism isn't just about analysis and debate. Ultimately, it's personal."
After the clips from Siskel & Ebert, the current hosts took a brief look at the post-Siskel years with highlights featuring Ebert and Richard Roeper, Roeper and guest hosts, and a few seconds of a Lyons and Mankiewicz review.
Dissecting At the Movies
In one of the best parts of their look back, A.O. Scott and Michael Phillips offered their thoughts on the effect that At the Movies had on film criticism. Phillips said that one of the knocks against the show was that it made film criticism reductive; he countered that it made film criticism mainstream.
Scott agreed, adding that At the Movies "widened the appeal" of discussions about film, "democratizing" it. He went on to suggest that the show did not cause film criticism to lose its authority, but rather, it gave everyone "a focal point for an argument, and Roger and Gene were that."
Concerning an episode that Siskel and Ebert devoted to discussing the films of Tom Cruise, A.O. Scott remarked that the show creators showed him how a popular star can be taken seriously as an actor and discussed in a way that is neither solemn nor sombre.
The Final Thoughts
While this final episode of At the Movies could have devoted more time to its review of its history, the discussion that Scott and Phillips had was insightful and engaging. Their analysis and commentary hit upon key reasons for the show's incredible longevity.
In the concluding moments of the episode, Michael Phillips said that he saw a future for the format of two people discussing films, possibly alluding to the new Roger Ebert Presents At the Movies that was announced back in March of this year.
Phillips's comment about the joy of discussing film is an excellent summation of how many At the Movies fans feel: "Whenever and however we choose to experience them, the movies challenge and delight us. And for many of us, a lively, passionate conversation about movies is one of the great pleasures in life."
With any luck, fans of these discussions will see in the near future a continuation of the tradition that Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert established 35 years ago.
Anthony Sin - Anthony Sin has been writing a while now, since The Beatles abandoned the clean-cut look in fact. Much to his surprise, he made it out of ...
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