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Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert were the most unlikely two people to become mega celebrities from discussing films. The documentary Life Itself (2014) puts a great deal of emphasis on exploring the unexpected and incredible success of their television show, Siskel & Ebert & the Movies (1986-1999), and the relationship between the two men. Stemming from rival Chicago newspapers, the two equally infuriated and respected each other, concocting a volatile and mutually intelligent dynamic that made them engaging to watch, and insightful to witness.

It wasn’t uncommon for debates between Siskel & Ebert to become heated. Neither were the type to succumb to pressure, and their views on films frequently didn’t align. But how much of that was acting for television and how much was authentic bickering was never overwhelmingly evident. Everyone on television is a character, even if they are playing themself.

Life Itself, among many other successes, does a fantastic job enlightening audiences about the realities of Siskel and Ebert’s relationship. It offers evidence that when the two first started out, they carried a genuine dislike for one another. They both thought they were intelligent and charismatic enough to carry a show on their own, feeling the other was unnecessary. Their original television performances mirrored this; stiff, wooden, with an air of “let’s talk about this and get the hell out of here” dominating the show. Siskel came from the Chicago Tribune, a paper that was seen as the rich man’s gazette, carrying a chip of snobbery from the archways of its tall, gothic headquarters. The Sun-Times was the regular man’s paper, and Ebert was their Pulitzer Prize-winning savant.

“The film’s overview of Ebert’s rivalry with Siskel in particular is fascinating for the glimpse it provides of both men’s insecurities” - Genevieve Koski, The Dissolve

The film talks at length about the two clashing personality types that comprised the men. There is a great series of outtakes during a promotional recording where they make fun of each others’ eating and speaking habits, criticize each other for facilitating the need to re-record certain lines, and throw a few expletives around. Most of this footage can be seen in these two clips:

As the film carries on, each of the men’s widows refers to Siskel and Ebert’s relationship as one of brotherhood. They fought like brothers, and though they’d never admit it, they loved each other as such. The latter fact was a huge reason why Ebert was particularly upset that Siskel never told him about the terminal brain cancer that ended his life. Only Siskel’s closest family members knew about his sickness, and after he passed, Ebert vowed to be open and candid about anything that should befall his own health as he aged. Life Itself is proof of that point.

Director Steve James spoke with NPR about the men’s brotherhood/rivalry, saying “When I watched the show, I didn’t have any doubt that these guys were legitimately debating and arguing and didn’t have a lot of love for each other at times. And it was really important, I think, in the movie to really try to trace that relationship because I think that relationship with Gene, outside of Roger’s relationship to Chaz, was the single most important one of his life. And they were like, bickering brothers and such, but the thing you had to remember is, I bickered with my brother when I was 17 and 18 - these guys were in their 40s and 50s and they were going at it.”

Chaz Ebert, Roger’s wife, continued that sentiment in the same interview:

“They used to tape the show on Wednesdays. And in the beginning, I would go to the studio to watch them tape the show, but it was too brutal for me to even watch. I started avoiding the studio on tape days and - because I saw that dynamic between them and I didn’t think it was that healthy for Roger. And he would come home - I could tell if it was a good day or a bad day at the studio by the way he looked when he came home. And, you know, if he felt that, “oh, I really bested Gene on all the reviews,” he would come home kind of in a soaring manner. And it would be a good time. But sometimes he came home and he was still angry, you know, with Gene, thinking “what’s wrong with him? Why did he do that,” you know? It mellowed over the years as they became friendlier with each other. They still remained competitive, but it wasn’t as vitriolic.”