Ebert - Roger Eberts Movie Yearbook 2013: 25th Anniversary Edition

This book is dedicated to Robert Zonka, 19281985. God love ya.

The massacre at a premiere of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colorado, brought a wave of speculation about whether movie violence inspires violent behavior in moviegoers. Id written a blog about our need for better gun control, and it drew a lot of messages along those lines, suggesting I should put my own house in order.

This yearbook is not the right place to go into gun control, but violence in the movies is fair game. Does it inspire violence in society? The honest answer is, I dont know. But there I times I believe it has a sort of deadening effect on young viewers who are exposed to a lot of it. I go to see virtually every new release, and sometimes I despair. Many new films are nonstop violent action, with mechanical dialogue and shallow characters. Essentially they offer only kinetic action and bright colors. What thinking person can possibly care about the plot of a Transformers movie?

In my years of professional movie going Ive seen a relentless erosion of story-telling standards in mainstream commercial movies. The idea of a well-structured story is no longer a goal. Many successful movies consist essentially of a perfunctory set-up and 80 or 90 minutes of spectacular special effects. Well-made feature films used to embed the idea that causes had effects; that characters should expect to reap the results of their decisions. Now we usually see invulnerable heroes who destroy one threat after another in ways that make no sense. They can jump from heights and not be injured. They can miraculously avoid being struck by countless rounds from automatic weapons. They can drive through city streets, leave carnage behind, and pay no consequences.

This can often be entertaining escapism, as in the Dark Knight movies, Spider-Man II, and a Bond picture. More often, it is simply routine. Please forgive me for employing one of the most over-used lines in Shakespeare: Viewers are subjected to sound and fury, signifying nothing.

I dont know if an exclusive diet of such movies can influence human behavior. I do believe, however, that seeing good films are, at the end of the day, likely to make you a more thoughtful and interesting person. I think there is such a thing as dumbing down, and I think our mass media contribute to it.

One of the reasons for this may be that movie choices are often shaped by the myopic and skewed MPAA Rating System. Its obvious that the MPAA takes a sterner look at sexuality than violence. Incredible violence can get a PG-13 seal of approval, but films, however thoughtful, that deal with human relationships are more likely to be rated R . Childrens films, which are now usually animated 3-D cartoons, often consist of little more than distracting fast action. The loving craftsmanship of Disney classics or such more recent films as Little Mermaid and The Lion King is much harder to find than inane adventures like Kung Fu Panda and the Ice Age movies.

I believe there is such thing as a movie appropriate for adults, and that it should be rated R or NC-17 . During 2012, we had the rare experience of seeing a film by an established director, with major stars in the leads, released with the NC-17 rating. This was William Friedkins Killer Joe, starring Matthew McConaughey. You can read my review of it in this book. I think NC-17 was the correct rating and that a good many more R -rated movies deserve it. There are also PG-13 movies that probably should be rated R .

I think, perhaps foolishly, that such a shift in the MPAAs standards might place more emphasis on storytelling and character and make a smaller opening for movies that depend entirely on violence. I believe that younger viewers, those in the PG-13 category, might benefit from less mindless action in their formative years. The decay of standards in movies may be related to the decay of standards in our society. I cant prove it. But I fear it.

My sincere thanks to Dorothy OBrien, who has been the books valued editor at Andrews McMeel for many years. Also to Sue Roush, my editor at Universal Uclick, and to Laura Emerick, Amanda Barrett, Linda Bergstrom, Miriam Di Nunzio, Darel Jevens, Teresa Budasi, Thomas Conner, and all the other heroes at the Chicago Sun-Times, and Jim Emerson and the Web staff at rogerebert.com. Many others are thanked in the Acknowledgments.

R OGER E BERT

My editor is Dorothy OBrien, tireless, cheerful, all-noticing. My friend and longtime editor Donna Martin suggested the yearbook approach to the annual volume. The design is by Cameron Poulter, the typographical genius of Hyde Park.

My thanks to production editor Christi Clemons Hoffman, who renders Camerons design into reality. John Yuelkenbeck at Alias Creative Group is the compositor who has worked diligently on the series for years. I have been blessed with the expert and discriminating editing of Laura Emerick, Miriam Di Nunzio, Darel Jevins, Jeff Johnson, and Teresa Budasi at the Chicago Sun-Times; Sue Roush at Universal Uclick; and Michelle Daniel and David Shaw at Andrews McMeel Publishing. For much advice and counsel, thanks to Jim Emerson and John Barry of www.rogerebert.com.

Many thanks are also due to Marsha Jordan at WLS-TV. My gratitude goes to Carol Iwata, my expert personal assistant, and to Gregory Isaac, who is a computer whiz and invaluable aide-de-camp. I must also thank those who have given me countless observations and corrections, including Peter Debruge, Jana J. Monji, and Troylene Ladner.

And special thanks and love to my wife, Chaz, who was always at my side during a difficult illness, helped see three books through the press during that time, and was a cheerleader for this one. I am so grateful to her as we once again, relieved, enter a period of good health.

R OGER E BERT

	A great film
	A good film
	Fair
	Poor
G, PG, PG-13, R, NC-17: Ratings of the Motion Picture Association of America
G	Indicates that the movie is suitable for general audiences
PG	Suitable for general audiences but parental guidance is suggested
PG-13	Recommended for viewers years or above; may contain material inappropriate for younger children
R	Recommended for viewers or older
NC-17	Intended for adults only
141 m.	Running time
2010	Year of theatrical release

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