Original Air Date:
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Guests:
- Roger Ebert
- Chaz Ebert
- Morgan Freeman
- Colin Firth
- Tom Ford
Show Summary:
In anticipation of the upcoming 82nd Annual Academy Awards, Oprah welcomed a number of special guests for her Pre-Oscar episode. The most touching guest opened the show and is a long-time close friend of Oprah's - Roger Ebert and his wife of 18 years Chaz joined Oprah to update viewers on Roger's current condition since battling thyroid cancer and surviving numerous surgeries that caused him to lose his ability to speak, eat and drink. Using computer technology, Roger and his wife debuted how he is now able to speak electronically using his own voice. Morgan Freeman, Colin Firth and Tom Ford also appeared.
Special Highlights:
This episode featured the following highlights:
- Losing the floor of his mouth to treat his cancer, Roger Ebert's appearance has changed, but his spirit and film voice have remained the same.
- A trusted film critic for more than 40 years, Ebert didn't shy away from revealing his Oscar predictions including his pic of The Hurt Locker for Best Picture.
- Morgan Freeman appeared via satellite to speak about his experience getting to know Nelson Mandela for the film Invictus.
- Colin Firth and Tom Ford described the process of making A Single Man, which was the first film project for fashion designer Ford.
What to Take Away from the Show:
After watching this Oprah episode, I walked away with a mix of excitement for the upcoming Academy Awards in just 5 days, and a sense of amazement at the resolve of Roger Ebert and his wife to continue to push forward and live a fulfilling life, despite his health challenges. The Inspiring stories in the nominated films combined with the sense of pride and the reward for hard work for the teams who made them possible, gave this episode an overwhelming feeling of can-do spirit and reaching for your dreams, no matter how big or small.