Roger Ebert, the well-known film critic who passed away in 2013, wasn’t afraid to share his strong opinions, even if it meant being blunt. In 2005, he published a list of 56 movies he disliked the most, and Rob Schneider’s comedy sequel, Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo, made the cut. This film was the final point of contention in a long-standing disagreement between Ebert and Schneider, who was a star in the 1990s and a former cast member of Saturday Night Live.
The conflict between Roger Ebert and Rob Schneider began three years prior when Ebert gave Schneider’s film, The Hot Chick, a very poor review—half a star out of four. This sparked a public argument, with Schneider repeatedly criticizing Ebert’s opinions. Ebert, in turn, delivered a particularly strong response, making it one of the most memorable clashes between an actor and a film critic. After two decades, it’s worth looking back at this famous feud.
Roger Ebert’s Opinion of Rob Schneider’s Movies Through the Years
Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
Before diving into a discussion of Rob Schneider’s films, let’s look at how Roger Ebert’s opinions changed over time. In 1999, Schneider starred in his first major movie, Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo. It was a very silly, R-rated comedy about an ordinary guy who accidentally becomes a male escort after losing his job cleaning fish tanks.
Although Ebert awarded the film only 1.5/4 stars in his review, he admitted:
I’ll admit, I laughed quite a bit while watching ‘Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo.’ It just goes to show I still have a silly, somewhat crude side – and honestly, I hope I always do.
Okay, so fast forward to 2002. Rob Schneider was in The Hot Chick, and honestly, it was another one of those silly, immature comedies – this time about a popular, mean teen girl who somehow ends up in an older man’s body. Now, even though Roger Ebert had a bit of fun with Deuce Bigalow, The Hot Chick didn’t quite do it for him. He gave it a 2.5 out of 4 stars, and his review… well, let’s just say he wasn’t impressed.
Despite a potentially funny premise, the movie stubbornly refuses to be clever and instead falls into the typical, silly tropes of teen comedies, focusing on awkward sexual humor and prom night drama. I managed to stay until the end of ‘The Hot Chick,’ but I’ll admit it was a struggle and I couldn’t bear to watch the closing credits.
Schneider might have been upset by Ebert’s tough reviews, but he didn’t respond until the 2005 movie, Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo, which really intensified their conflict.
Roger Ebert Tells Rob Schneider, “Your Movie Sucks!”
Sony Pictures Releasing
In 2005, a playful feud between Roger Ebert and Rob Schneider flared up after the release of Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo. The movie received overwhelmingly negative reviews, scoring just 9% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 23 on Metacritic. Film critic Patrick Goldstein of the L.A. Times was particularly harsh, writing a strongly worded critique not just of the film, but of the entire Hollywood system for greenlighting such a poor project.
Goldstein’s harsh review led Schneider to fire back. As reported by SF Gate, Schneider verbally attacked Goldstein, calling him an “unfunny and arrogant reporter” and tried to undermine the review by pointing out that Goldstein had never received a Pulitzer Prize for his work in journalism or film.
When Schneider criticized Goldstein, Ebert immediately defended his colleague and strongly condemned Schneider. In a scathing review of Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo, Ebert gave the film zero stars and launched a harsh attack on Schneider, writing:
Schneider is right – Patrick Goldstein hasn’t won a Pulitzer Prize. Because of that, it’s odd he’s criticizing Columbia for funding ‘Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo’ when they passed on films like ‘Million Dollar Baby,’ ‘Ray,’ ‘The Aviator,’ ‘Sideways,’ and ‘Finding Neverland.’ I, however, have won a Pulitzer, so I feel I can offer an opinion. And, as a Pulitzer Prize winner, I’m going to say it: Mr. Schneider, your movie isn’t good.
To make matters worse, Ebert pointed out the difference between Goldstein’s awards and Rob Schneider’s, highlighting that Schneider had even been nominated for a Razzie Award (given for the worst performances) but lost to Jar-Jar Binks. This sparked a two-year exchange of witty insults between the two, which surprisingly ended with a friendly reconciliation that no one predicted.
Roger Ebert and Rob Schneider Make Up and Put the Beef Behind Them
Sony Pictures Releasing
In 2007, Roger Ebert released a collection of his most critical movie reviews called Your Movie Sucks, a clear nod to his past critiques of both director Uwe Schneider and the film European Gigolo. Also in 2007, Ebert’s cancer worsened following complications from the removal of his jaw; he had lost the ability to speak the previous year.
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The situation was serious, and Schneider decided to apologize to Ebert by sending flowers and a get-well card. He ended the note with a playful jab, calling himself Ebert’s least favorite movie star. Ebert was touched by this kind gesture and decided to revisit his review of European Gigolo, adding a new note at the end.
The flowers were a gentle reminder that even though I didn’t enjoy Rob Schneider’s latest film, he’s a good person who likely intended to make something great, and probably still hopes to. I share that hope.
Roger Ebert sadly passed away in 2013 after battling cancer, but thankfully he and Michael Schneider had resolved their differences beforehand, finding peace over a simple disagreement about a film. Today, with movie theaters struggling due to the rise of streaming services prioritizing volume over quality, Ebert’s insightful perspective on cinema is sorely missed.
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2026-02-06 16:20