Joel Siegel Dies of Cancer :-(

piperdiva · June 29th, 2007, 09:47 PM

RIP. You will be missed

from ABCNews.com:

Surrounded by family and friends, ABC's beaming and insightful movie critic Joel Siegel has died in New York, after a long and remarkably courageous struggle with cancer, at the age of 63.

Both colleagues and fans delighted in his unique way of blending cheerful good humor and piercing critical acumen in reviews that made them instantly clear to anyone. You knew exactly what he thought — often with the bonus of a good laugh.

In a statement today, ABC News President David Westin said, "Joel was an important part of ABC News and we will miss him. He was a brilliant reviewer and a great reporter. But much more, he was our dear friend and colleague. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family."

Siegel is survived by his young son, Dylan, and wife, Ena Swansea, an artist.

Joel Siegel's battle with colon cancer was borne with such astonishing courage and humor that he almost tricked his colleagues around the office into forgetting his struggle.

Still at work only two weeks before his death, he had this reporter and several others chortling in an elevator over a line he was about to broadcast about there being so many new penguin movies lately that soon they would outnumber the penguins themselves.

With his trademark style — a bright but very business-like cheerfulness — Joel Siegel delivered his swift judgments with a self-confidence and wit so finely phrased it made his reviews a pleasure to listen to just for the quick precision of his language.

He was the master of the unambiguous thumbnail review, whether delivering flowers …

— "The Pursuit of Happyness" gets a C for spelling and an A for acting. It could also get an Oscar for Will Smith."

— "Letters from Iwo Jima" is the only contemporary film I've ever reviewed that I felt safe calling a masterpiece. It's not about the enemy, it's about humanity, and Clint Eastwood proves you don't have to understand the language to understand the heart."

… or bombs:

— "The appeal of Matthew McConaughey has long evaded me both as a pinup and as an actor. His constant ticks, bad hair and strained syntax as a coach fumble what should have been the tragic and inspirational story of the rebuilding of Marshall University's football team after a devastating plane crash."

"No one had more fun writing about a bad movie than Joel," said Dave Davis, president and general manager of WABC-TV, where Siegel signed on as movie and theater critic in 1976.

Millions learned over the decades that they could trust his judgment and his concise common sense descriptions of movies, as he held forth from the the critic's chair — which, for the past quarter-century, he did on ABC's "Good Morning America," where he was a central member of its on-air family.

Joyful Critic Joel Siegel, Gone at 63

yoyoma · June 29th, 2007, 09:50 PM

Rest in Peace.

msdeb · June 30th, 2007, 12:54 AM

while i very rarely agreed with his reviews, i sure as heck enjoyed the way he reviewed movies. he'll be missed

Tierra · June 30th, 2007, 12:06 PM

RIP Joel Siegel

sweetrebel · June 30th, 2007, 12:17 PM

How sad.

Lily · June 30th, 2007, 01:10 PM

ABC film critic Joel Siegel dead at age 63

Sat Jun 30, 2007 12:29PM EDT

By Arthur Spiegelman
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Joel Siegel, the upbeat and often joyous film critic for ABC television's "Good Morning America" for 26 years, died on Friday at age 63 after a long battle against colon cancer, the network said.
Siegel, who was surrounded by family and friends when he died in New York, had stopped working just two weeks ago, and colleagues said he had maintained such a positive attitude that few people realized how sick he was, according to the network.
He had been a regular fixture on "Good Morning America" since joining the broadcast in 1981. He previously reviewed films for ABC affiliates and other networks.
His Friday movie reviews were a staple on "Good Morning America" and no matter how bad the film, it could not daunt Siegel's spirits.
He delivered his pans and plaudits in a terse but witty style. Reviewing one popular film last year, he said: "'The Pursuit of Happyness'" gets a C for spelling and an A for acting. It could also get an Oscar for Will Smith."
In a review of "Letters from Iwo Jima," he said the Japanese-language war drama was "the only contemporary film I've ever reviewed that I felt safe calling a masterpiece. It's not about the enemy, it's about humanity, and Clint Eastwood proves you don't have to understand the language to understand the heart."
Of Matthew McConaughey in "We Are Marshall," he said the performer's appeal "has long evaded me both as a pinup and as an actor. His constant ticks, bad hair and strained syntax as a coach fumble what should have been the tragic and inspirational story of the rebuilding of Marshall University's football team after a devastating plane crash."
"Joel was an important part of ABC News, and we will miss him," ABC News President David Westin said. "He was a brilliant reviewer and a great reporter. But much more, he was our dear friend and colleague. Our thoughts and prayers are with Joel's family."
Siegel was outspoken about his battle with cancer, reporting on his illness, writing a book about it and lobbying on Capitol Hill on behalf of others afflicted with cancer.
In 1991, Siegel and actor Gene Wilder founded Gilda's Club, named for Wilder's late wife, comedian Gilda Radner, a nonprofit organization offering emotional and social support for cancer patients and their families and friends.

© Reuters 2007. All rights reserved.

ABC film critic Joel Siegel dead at age 63 | Entertainment | Reuters

kingcap72 · June 30th, 2007, 01:12 PM

I couldn't believe it when I heard he died. I didn't even know he was sick. R.I.P. Joel.

Lily · June 30th, 2007, 01:18 PM

I know!

He actually was diagnosed some time ago, but it went into remission. He was a fighter. He got to see the birth of his son, and write a book to him. That's moving---extremely sad, but also moving.