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It's been a rough week for Roger Ebert. First, he left the show he's worked on for 33 years. Now the new Will Ferrell comedy, Step Brothers, seems to have triggered a bout of existential anguish for the jovial uncle of American film criticism. In the midst of a woeful review of Step Brothers, Ebert issues a sudden and dire cri de coeur:
Sometimes I think I am living in a nightmare. All about me, standards are collapsing, manners are evaporating, people show no esteem for themselves. I am not a moralistic nut. I'm gallant of the X-rated moving-picture show I once wrote. I like coarseness if it's funny or serves a purpose. But what is going on here?
Even sadder is the defeated shrug that follows this tumultuous disturbance: "Back to the picture show. I guess it will be a success." Could someone give poor Roger Ebert a hug?
Step Brothers [Chicago Sun-Times]
Earlier: Ebert and Roeper Leaving 'Ebert & Roeper'
