Synopsis:
The hit documentary from the 2016 Sundance Film Festival goes inside the life of Steve Gleason, the former New Orleans Saints defensive back who, at the age of 34, was diagnosed with ALS and given a life expectancy of two to five years. Weeks later, Gleason found out his wife, Michel, was expecting their first child. A video journal that began as a gift for his unborn son expands to chronicle Steve’s determination to get his relationships in order, build a foundation to provide other ALS patients with purpose, and adapt to his declining physical condition—utilizing medical technologies that offer the means to live as fully as possible.
What We Thought:
Gleason is devastating, moving, intimate, raw and emotional. Take your make up off before it smears and get your tissues ready.
The documentary is about Steve Gleason, a former New Orleans Saints football player who was diagnosed with ALS not long after he retired from the NFL. Shortly after his diagnosis his wife finds out she is pregnant. Steve makes videos for his unborn child and starts a foundation to help others with ALS.
It is extremely raw and personal. There’s no hiding the emotions or difficulties in everyone’s daily life. You see a once strong, professional athlete slowly losing his ability to walk, move, talk, eat, and more. You see the toll it takes on his wife who has a newborn to take care of while taking care of her husband. You see the first few years of their son Rivers growing up with a father losing his abilities and mother who needs sleep and relaxation.
The film isn’t afraid to be real. Steve has breakdowns at different points which are totally expected. He questions why this is happening to him and how much of a burden he is to his friends and family. They show how others have to help him use the bathroom and eat. His father certainly doesn’t come across in a good light. He’s a very religious man who tries to get Steve to get healing through religion. They clash many times.
I also respect that they don’t hide the negatives and fights. Steve and his wife Michel fight like all married people and the film doesn’t back away from those personal moments. Neither are perfect and you understand their struggle through all of it. You know they love each other like crazy and want to handle the situation the best they can, but they are human.
Through his foundation Steve has helped many people with ALS. Whether it’s sending them on trips or getting them the technology they need to communicate, his foundation actually makes a difference. He’s done fundraising events and with the help of people like Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints and the band Pearl Jam, his foundation continues to improve lives.
Gleason is the most emotional documentary I’ve seen in a long time. It’s also the most uplifting. There’s a saying that “Not all heroes wear capes” and Steve Gleason doesn’t wear a cape, but he’s a true hero. I know he doesn’t always see that and that’s not why he made this film, but he is a hero as is his wife Michel. The documentary is…
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Cast & Crew:
- Steve Gleason
- Eddie Vedder & Mike McCready of Pearl Jam
- Drew Brees & the New Orleans Saints
Recommended If You Like
- Documentaries
- The Theory of Everything
- Incredibly Moving Stories
The Nerds Templar 