Ebert has been waging an incredible struggle against a type of thyroid cancer that has left him unable to speak, eat or drink -- and that's required the removal of most of his jaw -- all the while continuing to passionately write his film column for the Chicago Sun Times.
Amazingly, he's once again speaking in as close to his normal voice as possible. For the Oprah segment, Ebert uses a new software technology that incorporates recorded vocals to build a person's voice, making use of commentary tracks he did from various films released on DVD. Ebert says he's very pleased with the results, letting him speak in a voice his grandchildren can recognize. He'll be weighing in on this weekend's Academy Awards, making predictions and showing us that it's possible to defy adversity and live life with incredible courage and strength, persuing his love of both life and the cinema with continued enthusiasm. Years ago, Oprah and Ebert even dated!
To put so public a face on such a devastating illness reveals a dignity and courage most of us can only aspire to. It's hard to imagine anyone loving film more than this man does. It should be a fantastic appearance by a true legend.
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