“Why do alcoholics begin down the same hazardous road day after day? They are in search of that elusive window of well-being that opens when you drink your way out of a hangover and aren't yet drunk all over again. The alcoholic's day consists of trying to keep that window open.”

American film critic and journalist, 1942–2013. He became a defining voice of film criticism through his long tenure at the Chicago Sun-Times, where he championed thoughtful, accessible reviews that balanced rigor with warmth. His work extended beyond print to television, where his *Siskel & Ebert* show with Gene Siskel made film discussion a cultural touchstone.