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G.P. Putnam's Sons

Opposable Thumbs: How Siskel & Ebert Changed Movies Forever

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Once upon a time, if you wanted to know if a movie was worth seeing, you didn’t check out Rotten Tomatoes or IMDB. You asked whether Siskel & Ebert had given it “two thumbs up.” On a cold Saturday afternoon in 1975, two men (who had known each other for eight years before they’d ever exchanged a word) met for lunch in a Chicago pub. Gene Siskel was the film critic for the Chicago Tribune. Roger Ebert had recently won the Pulitzer Prize—the first ever awarded to a film critic—for his work at the Chicago Sun-Times. To say they despised each other was an understatement. When they reluctantly agreed to collaborate on a new movie review show with PBS, there was at least as much sparring off-camera as on. No decision—from which films to cover to who would read the lead review to how to pronounce foreign titles—was made without conflict, but their often-antagonistic partnership (which later transformed into genuine friendship) made for great television. In the years that followed, their signature “Two thumbs up!” would become the most trusted critical brand in Hollywood. In Opposable Thumbs, award-winning editor and film critic Matt Singer eavesdrops on their iconic balcony set, detailing their rise from making a few hundred dollars a week on local Chicago PBS to securing multimillion-dollar contracts for a syndicated series (a move that convinced a young local host named Oprah Winfrey to do the same). Their partnership was cut short when Gene Siskel passed away in February of 1999 after a battle with brain cancer that he’d kept secret from everyone outside his immediate family—including Roger Ebert, who never got to say goodbye to his longtime partner.But their influence on in the way we talk about (and think about) movies continues to this day. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ G.P. Putnam's Sons


Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 24, 2023


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Print length ‏ : ‎ 352 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593540158


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 52


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.25 pounds


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.22 x 1.15 x 9.27 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #104,535 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #57 in Movie History & Criticism #291 in Rich & Famous Biographies #588 in Actor & Entertainer Biographies


#57 in Movie History & Criticism:


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • Terrific book covering…Siskel & Ebert.
I didn’t always agree with Siskel and Ebert. They got things wrong on occasion but they sure were fun to watch and listen to. I do have an issue with the subtitle of the book though. They didn’t change the movies-they changed the way people TALKED about the movies. They changed how we engaged each other about the films we love and hate. Their influence still stands in print and on TV. Both men were intelligent, acerbic and traded barbed quips about films so well that one might jot realize that they couldn’t stand each other in the very beginning. Heck, they disliked each other when the first met. It was the competition that did it. Ebert saw Siskel as the rival newspaper’s answer to him and Siskel saw Ebert as a competitor to take down. That did change with time. At first, they were a pair of prima donnas; when Roger got a cushion so that he was at the same height as Siskel on screen (it makes it easier to frame the shot), Siskel had to have one, too. The secret weapon behind-the-scenes was Thea Flaum. The co-producer of the show groomed the pair so that their reviews and quips on screen would flow giving them tips,to make their written reviews translate to the screen. She taught them television even goi g so far as to tell them to get a new wardrobe because, as she noted, the way they dressed on screen looked awful. Without Htea, there would be no Siskel & Ebert. The pilot was a disaster but she knew there was something there and helped them hone their television craft. The irony is that neither was a strange to TV but they were to the idea of a two critic show where they had to interact and tolerate each other. With time, they developed friendship (and they may have disagreed and dislike each other in the beginning but there was mutual respect. Most of the time) and would stand their intellectual ground with each other. This partnership flourished and it became one of PBS’ most popular programs. Later, when theh left and were syndicated, they continued to be popular. This book does a great job covering their childhood, their rivalry, the difficult start of their show, success, the death of Gene Siskel (no how very few knew wbout how truly I’ll he was), the aftermath of the show tin Roger Ebert carrying on with others (though that magic chemistry was gone). It concludes with Roger Elbert’s illness, the show carrying on without him while he recovered and his eventual death. There’s a nice appendix of overlooked films that each man championed over the years. Siskel & Ebert changed the way that we, as audience members, saw the movies. They were a unique pair, brilliant and challenged each other every step of the way. I don’t believe either man would have it any other way. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2023 by Wayne Klein
    • For movie fans of a certain age
For a generation of young movie fans in the 80s, Siskel & Ebert (Ebert & Siskel) were perhaps the most trusted adults in our lives. I watched "At the Movies" and later, "Siskel & Ebert", more religously than perhaps any other show since being weaned off "The Electric Company". So deeply etched into my mind are these two that while reading "Opposable Thumbs" I could actually hear their voices in my head. Singer's book not only provided a rich history of how the show came to be and how these two became some of the biggest celebrities in film, but reminded me of some of the most instructive and entertaining television I've ever watched. I suspect like many other readers, I spent a lot of time looking up referenced clips of their show and appearances on Letterman and Carson and feeling as drawn to these two men as we were when we were younger. While we see this kind of crosstalk everywhere these days what the modern version lacks—that Singer's book so completely cements—is that Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert were not characters playing it up for the camera, the camera captured who they were and beamed it to all of us. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2023 by Joshua Bradley
    • Thumbs Up--WAY up--for this wonderful new book about Gene and Roger
I grew up in Chicago. I first came across Roger Ebert while I was still in high school and Gene Siskel was doing movie reviews for the local CBS station. I was delighted when they joined forces and remain an ardent fan long after they moved into syndication and I left town. Ebert was a magnificent writer and Siskel seemed grounded with his family. Beyond sad that both men left us far too soon in such tragic fashion. I miss them so much. I have waited for this book forever and I'm so pleased with what Matt Singer has shared. The book is both revealing and entertaining, taking us inside one of the biggest media rivalries of the last century. Great stories and solid writing. The perfect Christmas gift for any movie lover. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2023 by SLO Writer
    • A remarkable book. Funny, informative and moving.
I grew up in the 80s watching Siskel & Ebert with my dad. I don’t think we ever missed an episode. Later in college and early adulthood I read Ebert’s reviews religiously. I still reread his reviews every time I’m remembering an old movie or just watched a classic. It’s one of my visited websites, several times a week, for nearly 20 years. This book provided not only memories but context to both men’s lives. It’s perfectly constructed. Kudos to the writer and all involved. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2023 by John K. Addis
    • God, I Miss These Guys
The pairing of Siskel and Ebert was brilliant, in retrospect. I followed them since the Sneak Previews days. This book is a loving tribute to them and their work. Every week I'd watch them trade reviews and snarky comments. Sometimes I'd watch to learn about new movies, other times to see what they thought about movies I had already seen. And if both agreed on a movie, it was probably worth seeing. This book shows how their background as newspaper writers led them to television fame. After they left Sneak Previews, their television bosses thought that they had made the show and any other film critic could take their places. Boy were they wrong. Siskel & Ebert set the mold that other critics tried and failed to copy, because people liked them. Siskel preferred hard-edged movies, while Roger was a soft touch for sentimental ones. At least that's how I saw them, and it was fun to guess who would like or dislike a certain movie. It was almost a game viewers could play along with. One of the last comments in the book was perfect. Roger said that they succeeded not as a team, but as individuals, because as a team it wouldn't have worked. So true. They were the Laurel & Hardy of movie reviewers. I like books that tell what happened behind the scenes. Did things fall together easily or was it a struggle. This book delivers the goods in that department. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2023 by Paul Wetor
    • Solid
Took me back to a show I loved and provided an intimate look at two profound individuals who created a genre.
Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2023 by Sean K.

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