On April 4, the world said goodbye to one of the most acclaimed and trusted movie critics of our generation, Roger Ebert. For over 40 years, Ebert wrote and reviewed hundreds of films and ultimately changed film journalism as he advised people not only on what to see, but what to think about it.

At the age of 24, Ebert began his career at the Chicago Sun-Times in 1967, where he began writing film reviews. His opinions soon became well-received and were considered some of the best film critiques written in the country. In fact, in 1975 he was the first film critic to ever receive a Pulitzer Prize.

Before Ebert, film reviews were somewhat inaccessible. Those who did read the reviews often did not understand the film language or analysis. Ebert changed that. He wrote reviews forcefully, honestly and straightforward, giving valid and insightful reasons for why he did or did not like a movie. None of his writing lacked personality, even if the film did. He warranted that everyone could understand the world of film and its language.

Ebert set the standards for what readers expect in a film today. This is true in regards to how he wrote his reviews. Not only did he rate movies, he analyzed them. He told viewers why to like or dislike a certain movie. He explained specific scenes and methods. After getting Ebert’s take on a movie, a viewer would never see the movie in the same way. He told people what to think as they were watching.

In the age of the Internet, Ebert was the first film critic to utilize different media successfully. Although he started his career strictly in print, he soon took advantage of television and the Web. He co-hosted a popular TV show “At the Movies.” This made his opinions even more widespread and accessible. This was where his famous “thumbs-up method” was born.

With the rise of the web, he took up blogging and social media. His Twitter became extremely popular with over 800,000 followers. He tweeted his comments frequently on a variety of subjects, including film, although he promised he never tweeted while watching a movie. Ebert understood that his work should be in as many places as possible, and he took full advantage of what he had.

Although he did not write for a big, national newspaper outlet, Ebert still managed to get his opinions out for the world to hear. In fact, he is the first critic that big directors became concerned about when it came to reviews. Directors such as Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese probably thought about him every time they released a movie because of the profound influence he had on potential audiences.

Up until the end, Ebert defined and assessed what was good and what was bad in film. No one debated him because, more often than not, he was completely right. He ignored much of what other film critics concentrated on, and instead, specifically assessed the quality of the film. He understood which films would leave a mark in cinema history. His insight was credible and hit the mark every time.

Ebert battled with thyroid cancer since 2002. He lost his lower jaw and his ability to speak due to his cancer. However, he never stopped his work. He continued to write, review movies, blog and tweet, never losing a hint of his personality or writing style.

Roger Ebert left a mark on film journalism that will not be forgotten. From the beginning of his career until his death at age 70, Ebert deserved two thumbs up for all of his major accomplishments and profound influence on the cinema.