Film critic Roger Ebert was remembered Thursday night at the Chicago Theatre in a music- and memory-filled three hour event that, like his funeral on Monday, included both regular fans and famous film-world faces.

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The Chicago Theatre hosted a three-hour memorial for film critic Roger Ebert Thursday night.

Actor  John Cusack, who's starred in such films as "Say Anything" and "Grosse Pointe Blank," said of the late critic, "He was always supportive of artists and he always gave you a fair shake."

Ebert died April 4 at age 70 after a long battle with cancer.

Cusack recalled making his first film, "The Sure Thing," at age 17, and finding himself sitting with director Rob Reiner  in New York's Carnegie Deli right next to Ebert and his longtime television partner, Gene Siskel. The actor said he knew Ebert was going to review his film the next day, and he sat in agony until the critic, noticing his panic, looked over at him and whispered, "I liked your movie."

Cusack's sister, actress Joan Cusack, read a letter from President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, sending their sympathy and praising Ebert for "bringing the world of cinema into our everyday lives."

Paul Beaty / AP

Roger Ebert's widow Chaz Ebert, left, speaks with actors John Cusack center, and Joan Cusack, right, at The Chicago Theatre before the memorial for her late husband.

Kevin Winter / Getty Images file

Roger Ebert

Other speakers included "Fugitive" director Andy Davis, Sony Pictures Classics president Michael Barker, "El Norte" director Gregory Nava, former Playboy CEO Christie Hefner, film critic Richard Roeper and Marlene Iglitzen Siskel, widow of Gene Siskel.

Iglitzen Siskel, who lost her husband in 1999, recalled how the famed duo honestly didn't like each other at first, but grew to love each other. As long as Ebert was alive, she said, she felt that "a part of Gene was too."

Roeper, who co-hosted "At the Movies" with Ebert for eight years after Siskel's death, compared his late partner to a famous movie character who enlightened everyone's world. "He was our George Bailey," Roeper said. "It was truly a wonderful life."

Journalist Bill Kurtis, who provided a voice for Ebert on "Ebert Presents at the Movies" after cancer took the critic's voice away, praised Ebert's willingness to move with the times and adapt to new technology.

"He jumped into the Internet like Tom Cruise on Oprah's couch," Kurtis said.

Ebert's widow, Chaz Ebert, spoke at the beginning and end of the event, and her children and grandchildren joined her to remember the man who treated them as his own. Granddaughter Raven Evans recalled how Ebert taught her to love the Beatles and Broadway musicals, and always sent her books, from Willa Cather's "My Antonia" to "The Alice B. Toklas Cookbook."

"He was simply one of the finest men I ever met," said Chaz Ebert. "Inside and outside, he was beautiful. When he thought he was disfigured (after cancer surgery), when I looked at him, I saw beauty."

A gospel choir also performed, and clips of Ebert's television appearances as well as personal family videos and snapshots were shown. 

Ebert often attended movie screenings at the Chicago Theatre, and a sidewalk star outside the venue honors him.

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Kevin Winter / Getty Images file

Roger Ebert in 2003

Fittingly, Roger Ebert's last movie review was of a film he thoroughly enjoyed. The esteemed critic died Thursday at age 70, and his longtime employer, the Chicago Sun-Times published his final review in Sunday's paper. Appropriately enough for the critic who so loved film, it was a good one -- three-and-a-half stars.

Ebert's final review is of "To the Wonder," a romantic drama from director Terrence Malick and starring Ben Affleck. 

Wrote Ebert at the end of his review, "There will be many who find 'To the Wonder' elusive and too effervescent. They'll be dissatisfied by a film that would rather evoke than supply. I understand that, and I think Terrence Malick does, too. But here he has attempted to reach more deeply than that: to reach beneath the surface, and find the soul in need."

At least one fan found the choice of film poignant considering the circumstances.

"As unfortunate as it is to read this last review by Ebert, I cannot help but think that he couldn't have picked a better review to leave us with," wrote Taylor Spangler on the Sun-Times site. "I mean: love, life, and movies...the big stuff is all here. I hope to catch this movie, and one last time reread Ebert's review and try and gain further insight into the film, the art form, and of course the mind of Roger Ebert."

Redbud pictures

Chris Ward agreed, writing, "I believe it beautiful and fitting that this was Mr. Ebert's last filed review, and not a sequel to, say, 'North.' The balcony is closed."

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Film critic Roger Ebert is remembered on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on April 4.

Funeral services for famed movie critic Roger Ebert will be held Monday morning in Chicago, according to a post on his website, RogerEbert.com.

The services will be held at Holy Name Cathedral, located at 730 N. State St., and will begin at 10 a.m. The event will be open to fans, though seating is first come, first served. Donations to the Ebert Foundation -- c/o Northern Trust, 50 S. LaSalle St., Chicago, 60603 -- are requested in place of flowers. The organization is a non-profit that supports arts and education programs.

Ebert died on Thursday, April 4 at age 70. Earlier in the week, he posted on his blog that he was taking a "leave of presence" for his health. The "painful fracture" he had turned out to be cancer, he revealed. The legendary critic was first diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer in 2002. The following year, he underwent surgery for cancer in his salivary gland. Further procedures to remove cancerous tissue included removal of some of his jawbone.

Ebert was the film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times for 46 years. He and fellow critic Gene Siskel made popular the "thumbs up, thumbs down" quick review. Ebert also wrote books and screenplays, and was the first movie critic to win a Pulitzer Prize and receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

He is survived by his wife, Chaz, two stepchildren and four grandchildren.

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Roger Ebert, who died Thursday at age 70, became a television personality, a Twitter legend and a beloved American icon, but what he was first and foremost was a movie critic.

Movie critics are as plentiful as popcorn, but there was truly no one like Ebert. He never buried his reviews in academic language or flowery comparisons. A down-to-earth writer, he brought his whole life and his entire understanding of human nature, plus a great sense of humor, into his writing.

Sure, he was known for his commentary on classics such as "Citizen Kane," but often, the movies that made him suffer the most gave us the most delightful reviews. Here are some of his gems. Rest in peace, Roger.

The Pullet Surprise 
Perhaps his most classic line references Ebert's own 1975 Pulitzer Prize, the first awarded to a film critic. Back in 2005, Rob Schneider complained that another reviewer who didn't like "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo" wasn't qualified to review it because he didn't have a Pulitzer. In response, Ebert wrote, "Speaking in my official capacity as a Pulitzer Prize winner, Mr. Schneider, your movie sucks."

Where the stars don't shine 
"I am required to award stars to movies I review. This time, I refuse to do it. The star rating system is unsuited to this film. Is the movie good? Is it bad? Does it matter? It is what it is and occupies a world where the stars don't shine."   —From review of "The Human Centipede"

Tell us how you really feel, Roger 
"I hated this movie. Hated hated hated hated hated this movie. Hated it. Hated every simpering, stupid, vacant, audience-insulting moment of it. Hated the sensibility that thought anyone would like it. Hated the implied insult to the audience by its belief that anyone would be entertained by it."   —From "North" review

Soft-soap job 
"One of the details that 'A Christmas Story' gets right is the threat of having your mouth washed out with Lifebuoy soap. Not any soap. Lifebuoy. Never Ivory or Palmolive. Lifebuoy, which apparently contained an ingredient able to nullify bad language. The only other soap ever mentioned for this task was Lava, but that was the nuclear weapon of mouth-washing soaps, so powerful it was used for words we still didn't even know."  —From"A Christmas Story" review

A kiss is still a ... 
"(Rhett Butler) tells Scarlett in a key early scene, 'You need kissing badly. That's what's wrong with you. You should be kissed, and often, and by someone who knows how.' For 'kissed,' substitute the word you're thinking of." —From "Gone With the Wind" review

Over the rainbow 
"... The elements in 'The Wizard of Oz' powerfully fill a void that exists inside many children. For kids of a certain age, home is everything, the center of the world. But over the rainbow, dimly guessed at, is the wide earth, fascinating and terrifying. There is a deep fundamental fear that events might conspire to transport the child from the safety of home and strand him far away in a strange land. And what would he hope to find there? Why, new friends to advise and protect him. And Toto, of course, because children have such a strong symbiotic relationship with their pets that they assume they would get lost together."  —From "Wizard of Oz" review

What they really, really want is an acting coach.
"(The Spice Girls) occupy 'Spice World' as if they were watching it."  —From "Spice World" review

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Ethan Miller / Getty Images file

Roger Ebert in 2009.

Over the course of Roger Ebert's decades-long career as a film critic, he delivered plenty of delightful reviews that both informed and entertained. Not only that, he showed both his funny and tender sides even when not reviewing movies. Here's a look at some of his best moments:

'Saturday Night Live' laughs
In 1985, Ebert and his "At the Movies" co-host, Gene Siskel, gave the first live review of a television show in progress during an "SNL" segment, reviewing earlier sketches and skewering star Chevy Chase's films. 

Terror on 'The Daily Show'
Ebert stopped by "The Daily Show" to terrify host Jon Stewart on the eve of the comedian's first Oscars hosting gig in February 2006. (Have sensitive ears? Beware of bleeped expletives.)

He 'hated, hated, hated, hated, hated' 'North'
Ebert doesn't hold back in this review for the 1994 movie "North," declaring that it took him "about a tenth of a second" to decide that it was the worst film of the year. The critic said that "a sinister inner force" came over him when typing out his review for the flop, causing him to type, "I hated this movie ... hated, hated, hated, hated, hated this movie ... every audience-insulting moment of it!"

Ebert remembers Siskel
The week after Gene Siskel's untimely death from cancer at age 53 in 1999, Ebert devoted an entire episode of "Siskel & Ebert at the Movies" to honoring his fallen friend -- and their contentious but always respectful partnership. 

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As news of film critic Roger Ebert's death spread on Thursday, stars took to Twitter to share their thoughts about his life and the impact his work had on them.

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Updated at 8:39 p.m. ET: Roger Ebert, the longtime critic who popularized film criticism with his "thumbs up, thumbs down" reviews in print and on television, died on Thursday. He was 70.

Ebert revealed this week that he suffered a recurrence of the cancer that he had battled in recent years.

"There is a hole that can't be filled. One of the greats has left us," the Chicago Sun-Times tweeted in announcing the news. The newspaper led off its lengthy obituary by stating simply: "Roger Ebert loved movies. Except for those he hated."

His wife, Chaz, expressed her sorrow in a statement, saying she had lost the love of her life. She also noted that he had fought a courageous battle against cancer, but had started to tire of the fight. "We were getting ready to go home today for hospice care, when he looked at us, smiled, and passed away. No struggle, no pain, just a quiet, dignified transition," she said.

As news of Ebert's death spread Thursday, President Barack Obama issued a statement expressing his condolences and highlighting the critic's career: "For a generation of Americans -- and especially Chicagoans -- Roger was the movies. When he didn't like a film, he was honest; when he did, he was effusive -- capturing the unique power of the movies to take us somewhere magical. ... The movies won't be the same without Roger."

Hired at the Sun-Times in 1967, Ebert reviewed movies at the newspaper for 46 years and established himself as one of the nation's most well-known film critics.

He was diagnosed in 2002 with papillary thyroid cancer, and in 2003 was operated on for cancer in his salivary gland. Further surgeries to remove more cancerous tissue required removal of a section of jawbone, and he continued to suffer complications over the next few years. After fracturing his hip last December, he underwent further surgery.

Mario Anzuoni / Reuters

Roger Ebert gives the thumbs-up after receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on June 23, 2005.

Just two days ago he posted online that he was taking a "leave of presence," saying that he was not going away but that he must slow down. He wrote of several projects he had in the works and his hopes of pursuing other types of writing.

Celebrities remember famed critic on Twitter

Ebert famously teamed with fellow critic Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune for "Siskel and Ebert At The Movies," a 1980s television show in which they reviewed new film releases. The two often squared off over what deserved a "thumbs up" or a "thumbs down" and their stamp of approval or disapproval made its way to movie posters and video boxes. Siskel died in 1999 at age 53.

AP file

Roger Ebert, right, and Gene Siskel.

Ebert was born in Urbana, Ill., on June 18, 1942. The Associated Press reports that his love of journalism, as well as of movies, came early. The New York Times writes that the first movie he saw was the 1937 Marx Brothers comedy, "A Day at the Races," at the Princess Theater in Urbana.

The author of numerous film screenplays and books, Ebert became the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize in 1975. He was also the first critic with a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.

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In promoting his book "The Great Movies II" on TODAY in 2005, Ebert discussed his obvious love of movies and why funny films deserved a place among the classics. "One of the reasons that movies are great, I think, is because they really make us feel."

Esquire interviewed Ebert in 2010 and quoted a journal entry the critic wrote as he came to grips with his own mortality. "I know it is coming, and I do not fear it, because I believe there is nothing on the other side of death to fear. I hope to be spared as much pain as possible on the approach path. I was perfectly content before I was born, and I think of death as the same state. What I am grateful for is the gift of intelligence, and for life, love, wonder, and laughter. You can’t say it wasn’t interesting."

He is survived by his wife, Chaz, two stepchildren and four grandchildren.

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Roger Ebert in 2009.

Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert is taking a "leave of presence" from some of his duties after a recurrence of his cancer. The 70-year-old critic wrote online Tuesday that a recent hip fracture he suffered last December "has been revealed to be a cancer," and he is receiving radiation treatment.

"What in the world is a leave of presence?" he wrote. "It means I am not going away." Ebert explained he will continue to write "selected" reviews, then leave the rest to select writers he admires. 

"I must slow down now," he wrote.

But as he noted, he's not going away, simultaneously announcing several upcoming projects, including launching a Kickstarter fundraising campaign to bring back his TV show "At the Movies" and the creation of a "movie version of a video game or mobile app," making a wry nod to whether or not it is art -- Ebert has had a long-standing discussion with readers over whether video games can ever be art the way movies are.

But he also suggested that he may write about the other topics close to his heart at the moment, specifically health issues. "It really stinks that the cancer has returned and that I have spent too many days in the hospital," he wrote. "So on bad days I may write about the vulnerability that accompanies illness. On good days, I may wax ecstatic about a movie so good it transports me beyond illness."

Ebert was hired as the film critic for the Sun-Times in 1967. He was diagnosed in 2002 with papillary thyroid cancer, and in 2003 was operated on for cancer in his salivary gland. Further surgeries to remove more cancerous tissue required removal of a section of jawbone and he continued to suffer complications over the next few years. After fracturing his hip last December he underwent further surgery.

In an interview in 2010 with Esquire he said he understands his death "is coming, and I do not fear it, because I believe there is nothing on the other side of death to fear. I hope to be spared as much pain as possible on the approach path."

For now, his latest post ends by calling it a "day of reflection" and adding, "Thank you for going on this journey with me. I'll see you at the movies."

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Daniel Boczarski / Getty Images file

Roger Ebert in 2011

Thumbs down to Roger Ebert's hip fracture -- but thumbs up to his attitude. The famed film critic, 70, is currently in the hospital with a fractured hip, his wife tweeted Thursday, Dec. 6. However, his spirits are more than intact. 

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"Roger in hospital with hip fracture (tricky disco dance moves) but he is doing well, asking for computer, will probably tweet," Chaz Ebert shared via Twitter.

Sure enough, the legendary Chicago Sun-Times critic appeared on the micro-blogging site just a few hours later to reassure fans that he was okay. 

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"Yes, fracture. But no surgery needed," he posted. "Details follow. :)" 

Ebert has suffered a series of health scares over the last decade, beginning with his 2002 diagnosis of thyroid cancer. In the years since then, he has battled through several other problems, including multiple surgeries and complications from the cancer, which robbed him of the ability to speak.