Renowned movie critic Roger Ebert became famous for his thorough reviews of all types of film, having reviewed movies for 46 years, but there has only been a handful of times Ebert left a screening before it concluded. There came a time in his career when he decided never to review a film again without seeing the entirety of it. However, the famous critic remained extremely vocal about the unfortunate few he did decide to leave.
Roger Ebert wrote reviews for the Chicago Sun-Times for 46 years but only critiqued them on television for 31. With his equally infamous colleague Gene Siskel, he co-hosted the 1986 talk show At the Movies and grew fame from the dramatic arguments he and Siskel would entertain after a screening. It has been rumored Roger Ebert walked out of several films that aren't listed here, such as I Spit On Your Grave, when he merely considered them contemptible. Aside from Caligula, it usually took Ebert no more than an hour to decide he was going to walk out of a film.
The reason that there are so few films Roger Ebert walked out on is that he felt it was unfair to review a film he hadn't watched until the end. Soon after releasing a scathing review of the 2008 indie film Tru Loved, he apologized to the director Stewart Wade and the film's crew on his Sun-Times blog. Ebert had only stayed at the screening for approximately eight minutes before he left to type up a review. In his apology, he vowed, "I will never, ever again review a film I have not seen in its entirety" (via Los Angeles Times). Regardless, movie critic Roger Ebert usually held a valid reason for walking out of films he disliked. As a film connoisseur, he had a reliable gauge for whether or not he would find a film acceptable, so every walkout had a justifiable purpose. Here's every movie Ebert walked out on, and why.
Caligula (1979)
Caligula remains an exception for Roger Ebert in that he walked out after experiencing two hours of the film, rather than deciding to leave right away. His repulsed review called the film "sickening" and "shameful trash." Ebert granted the film zero stars and encouraged the public response demanding a full ban because of its exploitative sex scenes. The film centers around the power-hungry Roman emperor Caligula and his rise to power leading up to his ultimate murder. Caligula was controversial enough that it faced legal trouble being seized by customs and Federal officials. Ebert's main issue with the film was its lack of joy. There were "no scenes of joy" or "natural pleasure" and the despair made it too nauseating to finish.
The Statue (1971)
The Statue is a comedy film directed by Rod Amateau and written by Dennis Norden and Alec Coppel. A sculpture artist uses her husband as a nude model to create an eighteen-foot Greco-Roman statue, but models the genitals after someone else's which causes drama in their high-class social circle. Monty Python members John Cleese and Graham Chapman make early acting appearances. In his review, Roger Ebert discussed how he could picture this comedy working if it were executed differently, but he considered the feature too grating in its comedy to finish. He walked out when the story began to delve into themes of revenge. Ebert specifically cited the excruciating performance of David Niven as a reason why he left the screening, and how Niven would be better off unemployed than acting in The Statue.
Jonathan Livingston Seagull (1973)
The 1973 drama Jonathan Livingston Seagull was written and directed by Hall Bartlett. The film adaptation of the Richard Bach novel follows a rebellious seagull who begins to learn new flight techniques that cause him to be banished from his flock. Its narrative is notably similar to the hit comedy Happy Feet. Siskel and Ebert weren't the only critics writing scathing reviews of the film, as it was received largely as a farcical failure. Ebert gave Jonathan Living Seagull one star and left the screening after forty-five minutes. He criticized the film's abuse of the real birds used as well as its failure to elevate the bland source material. He claimed it was possibly the "biggest pseudo cultural, would-be metaphysical ripoff of the year."
The Brown Bunny (2003)
Acclaimed director Vincent Gallo's experimental drama film The Brown Bunny follows a non-linear story of the motorbike racer Bud Clay who cannot stop dwelling on his past lover, played by American Horror Story's Chloe Sevigny. The film received mixed reviews, with praise for the filmmaking yet outrage for Gallo who shares unsimulated oral sex with Sevigny for the ending. Roger Ebert walked out of the press screening for The Brown Bunny and sparked a feud with Gallo afterwards claiming it was the "worst film in the history of Cannes." It wasn't the controversial fellatio that deterred him but how the film was "unendurably boring." However, Ebert watched the re-cut version and gave it an iconic Siskel and Ebert "thumbs up."
Tru Loved (2008)
Tru Loved is the film that made Roger Ebert question his habit of reviewing films without watching them until the end credits. He faced backlash for revealing he had only watched eight minutes of the film, so he rewatched it at a later date to review it properly. The indie movie is a slice of life that works towards the goal of normalizing LGBTQ+ representation in cinema. Ebert's opinion on the film did not change, as he considered Stewart Wade's comedy to be shallow and underdeveloped. Specifically, he had an issue with how the movie handled the intersectionality of gay and straight communities. He gave Tru Loved one star after finishing it and cited that the characters remained one-dimensional stereotypes.
Mediterraneo (1991)
Mediterraneo revolves around a group of Italian soldiers who get stranded on an island in the Aegean Sea during World War II. While most of the films Roger Ebert walked out of screenings for were received poorly by critics, Mediterraneo got amazing reception. Gabriele Salvatores' war drama won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film at the Oscars in 1992. Roger Ebert's shocking reason for walking out of Mediterraneo is because he found it to be "utterly without redeeming merit." He and Siskel both vowed to never watch it again regardless of its awards and acclaim.
Roger Ebert didn't shy away from condemning the quality of a movie if he deemed it reprehensible to the art of filmmaking, and he never reserved himself when explaining why he left various film screenings. His objective return to The Brown Bunny and Tru Loved after his infamous walkouts show that he was open to reassessing his opinions, nonetheless. However, given the number of movies critic Roger Ebert has reportedly walked out of, it's clear that he was a force to be feared for filmmakers.