The “garbage” 1973 movie Roger Ebert walked out of after 45 minutes: “This one is too much”
Roger Ebert walked out of the 1973 film *Jonathan Livingston Seagull* after about 45 minutes, calling it too much to endure. His reaction matters because he rarely abandoned films, sometimes sitting through poor ones to inform his reviews, and the film had even received two Academy Award nominations.
Ebert criticised the adaptation of Richard Bach’s novella as plodding and monotonous, saying the film had not learned the lesson about rising above “garbage”. The production also faced disputes: Bach sued over changes to the script and later had his name removed from the credits, while composer Neil Diamond and director Ovady Julber also brought legal complaints.
In short
- Ebert left *Jonathan Livingston Seagull* after 45 minutes.
- He described the film as too much to endure.
- The adaptation drew lawsuits from Bach, Diamond and Julber.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The film’s defenders could argue that its unhurried pace and repeated images were deliberate, giving viewers room to absorb its spiritual themes and the seagull’s search for freedom. Its Academy Award nominations suggest that at least some viewers and industry members valued its visual or musical qualities, even if Ebert found the experience monotonous.
The case against
Critics could argue that the adaptation’s plodding repetition made its message feel laboured rather than illuminating, and that the disputes over changes to the script point to a troubled translation of Bach’s work. On this view, attractive imagery or music could not compensate for a film that failed to sustain attention or convey its ideas effectively.