--- title: "I read all the movie reviews, especially those of Ebert, a graceful a… — Roger Ebert Quote #67 | QuotesBy.net" description: "I read all the movie reviews, especially those of Ebert, a graceful and witty prose stylist with profound erudition, whose reviews are worth reading … — a quote by Roger Ebert." image: "https://quotesby.net/wp-content/themes/quotesby-editorial/assets/og-default.png" --- > # I read all the movie reviews, especially those of Ebert, a graceful and witty prose stylist with profound erudition, whose reviews are worth reading just for themselves, whether or not I have any intention of viewing the movie ... Ebert, the smart and handsome one, gave thumbs up to my first movie \[Garfield: The Movie\], but \[Richard\] Roeper, the other one, gave thumbs down and was particularly unkind. He went on forever attacking Ebert for liking Garfield. This from a man with enough taste to praise Duma. How very disappointing. One of Roeper's complaints was that I was animated and all of the other characters in the movie were 'real.' Do you have any idea how a statement like that hurts an actor who has worked all of his life as a media cat? Yes, Richard Roeper, I was animated. Read my lips: I am a character in a comic strip. [Roger Ebert](https://quotesby.net/Roger-Ebert)\#67 [Film](https://quotesby.net/Roger-Ebert/film/)[Criticism](https://quotesby.net/Roger-Ebert/criticism/)[Art](https://quotesby.net/Roger-Ebert/art/)[Acting](https://quotesby.net/Roger-Ebert/acting/)[Expectations](https://quotesby.net/Roger-Ebert/expectations/)[Performance](https://quotesby.net/topics/performance/) [WhatsApp (opens in a new tab)](https://wa.me/?text=%E2%80%9CI%20read%20all%20the%20movie%20reviews%2C%20especially%20those%20of%20Ebert%2C%20a%20graceful%20and%20witty%20prose%20stylist%20with%20profound%20erudition%2C%20whose%20reviews%20are%20worth%20reading%20just%20for%20themselves%2C%20whether%20or%20not%20I%20have%20any%20intention%20of%20viewing%20the%20movie%20...%20Ebert%2C%20the%20smart%20and%20handsome%20one%2C%20gave%20thumbs%20up%20to%20my%20first%20movie%20%5BGarfield%3A%20The%20Movie%5D%2C%20but%20%5BRichard%5D%20Roeper%2C%20the%20other%20one%2C%20gave%20thumbs%20down%20and%20was%20particularly%20unkind.%20He%20went%20on%20forever%20attacking%20Ebert%20for%20liking%20Garfield.%20This%20from%20a%20man%20with%20enough%20taste%20to%20praise%20Duma.%20How%20very%20disappointing.%20One%20of%20Roeper%27s%20complaints%20was%20that%20I%20was%20animated%20and%20all%20of%20the%20other%20characters%20in%20the%20movie%20were%20%27real.%27%20Do%20you%20have%20any%20idea%20how%20a%20statement%20like%20that%20hurts%20an%20actor%20who%20has%20worked%20all%20of%20his%20life%20as%20a%20media%20cat%3F%20Yes%2C%20Richard%20Roeper%2C%20I%20was%20animated.%20Read%20my%20lips%3A%20I%20am%20a%20character%20in%20a%20comic%20strip.%E2%80%9D%20%E2%80%94%20Roger%20Ebert%20https%3A%2F%2Fquotesby.net%2FRoger-Ebert%2F67%2F)[X (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=%E2%80%9CI%20read%20all%20the%20movie%20reviews%2C%20especially%20those%20of%20Ebert%2C%20a%20graceful%20and%20witty%20prose%20stylist%20with%20profound%20erudition%2C%20whose%20reviews%20are%20worth%20reading%20just%20for%20themselves%2C%20whether%20or%20not%20I%20have%20any%20intention%20of%20viewing%20the%20movie%20...%20Ebert%2C%20the%20smart%20and%20handsome%20one%2C%20gave%20thumbs%20up%20to%20my%20first%20movie%20%5BGarfield%3A%20The%20Movie%5D%2C%20but%20%5BRichard%5D%20Roeper%2C%20the%20other%20one%2C%20gave%20thumbs%20down%20and%20was%20particularly%20unkind.%20He%20went%20on%20forever%20attacking%20Ebert%20for%20liking%20Garfield.%20This%20from%20a%20man%20with%20enough%20taste%20to%20praise%20Duma.%20How%20very%20disappointing.%20One%20of%20Roeper%27s%20complaints%20was%20that%20I%20was%20animated%20and%20all%20of%20the%20other%20characters%20in%20the%20movie%20were%20%27real.%27%20Do%20you%20have%20any%20idea%20how%20a%20statement%20like%20that%20hurts%20an%20actor%20who%20has%20worked%20all%20of%20his%20life%20as%20a%20media%20cat%3F%20Yes%2C%20Richard%20Roeper%2C%20I%20was%20animated.%20Read%20my%20lips%3A%20I%20am%20a%20character%20in%20a%20comic%20strip.%E2%80%9D%20%E2%80%94%20Roger%20Ebert&url=https%3A%2F%2Fquotesby.net%2FRoger-Ebert%2F67%2F)[Facebook (opens in a new tab)](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fquotesby.net%2FRoger-Ebert%2F67%2F) ## About this quote What does it mean?An actor critiques a critic’s harsh review of his animated role while praising the critic’s own taste and noting unfair expectations.In plain termsAn actor defends his animated performance against harsh criticism.What can you take from it?Critics and creators clash over expectations. ### Where it applies - film criticism - acting - public disputes ### Putting it to work - defending art - evaluating performances - understanding roles ### Questions to consider - How should creators handle unfair reviews? ### Another view Personal bias can cloud critique. ## More from Roger Ebert 1. > In Blue Crush, we meet three Hawaiian surfers who work as hotel maids, live in a grotty rental, and are raising the kid sister of one of them. Despite this nea… [Permalink to quote \#66](https://quotesby.net/Roger-Ebert/66/ "Permalink to quote 66") 2. > I arrive at the end of this review having done my duty as a critic. I have described the movie accurately and you have a good idea what you are in for if you g… [Permalink to quote \#68](https://quotesby.net/Roger-Ebert/68/ "Permalink to quote 68") 3. > Censors feel they are safe from objectionable material but must protect others who are not as smart or moral. The same impulse tempts the reviewer of 'The Beli… [Permalink to quote \#65](https://quotesby.net/Roger-Ebert/65/ "Permalink to quote 65") ## Related quotes 1. > My public image isn't much about how I determine roles. I've always felt this way as a director that almost anyone can give a good or representative performanc… [Jack Nicholson](https://quotesby.net/Jack-Nicholson)[Jack Nicholson quote \#13](https://quotesby.net/Jack-Nicholson/13/ "Permalink to quote 13") 2. > Katharine Hepburn delivered a striking performance that ran the gamut of emotions, from A to B. [Dorothy Parker](https://quotesby.net/Dorothy-Parker)[Dorothy Parker quote \#27](https://quotesby.net/Dorothy-Parker/27/ "Permalink to quote 27") 3. > James Caan told me at the end of filming 'Elf' that he had been waiting through the whole film for me to be funny - and I never was. [Will Ferrell](https://quotesby.net/Will-Ferrell)[Will Ferrell quote \#72](https://quotesby.net/Will-Ferrell/72/ "Permalink to quote 72") ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I read all the movie reviews, especially those of Ebert, a graceful and witty prose stylist with profound erudition, whose reviews are worth reading just for themselves, whether or not I have any intention of viewing the movie ... Ebert, the smart and handsome one, gave thumbs up to my first movie [Garfield: The Movie], but [Richard] Roeper, the other one, gave thumbs down and was particularly unkind. He went on forever attacking Ebert for liking Garfield. This from a man with enough taste to praise Duma. How very disappointing. One of Roeper's complaints was that I was animated and all of the other characters in the movie were 'real.' Do you have any idea how a statement like that hurts an actor who has worked all of his life as a media cat? 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