Gleason

There’s something so brutal about watching an athlete, someone whose entire identity is built around strength, movement, physical dominance, slowly lose control of his own body. I feel like I personally take my life for granted, because as long as you are healthy, nothing else really matters. All your other problems become insignificant as soon as something like this happens and genuinely changes the way you live. Very heartbreaking to watch, but a very real and heartfelt documentary.

What really got me is how intimate it feels. The handheld shots, the home videos, the unfiltered moments, it all feels raw and almost intrusive, like you’re watching something you shouldn’t be, but are trusted to witness. There’s something powerful about how unpolished it is. It is just showing his new normal. Also, his wife made me so sad. You see love, but you also see so much exhaustion. It was so heartbreaking to watch her see the love of her life slowly unravel and turn into his disease.

I thought it was quite endearing how he made this for his son, so his son would have some memory of him before the illness. That framing makes the whole documentary feel like a time capsule. Every frame feels intentional in that way, like he’s curating how he’ll be remembered. I was really happy to know he is still alive and well 14 years later. I feel like it’s very hard to see your parents as individual people, but at the end of the day, they’ve been here longer than we have. They’ve lived full lives before we even existed. Watching him try to preserve himself for his son really forces you to confront that. He's trying to show his son his whole self before the illness becomes all he is. This was really sad, but such a good reminder to be grateful for my life and health.

There’s something so brutal about watching an athlete, someone whose entire identity is built around strength, movement, physical dominance, slowly lose control of his own body. I feel like I personally take my life for granted, because as long as you are healthy, nothing else really matters. All your other problems become insignificant as soon as something like this happens and genuinely changes the way you live. Very heartbreaking to watch, but a very real and heartfelt documentary.

What really got me is how intimate it feels. The handheld shots, the home videos, the unfiltered moments, it all feels raw and almost intrusive, like you’re watching something you shouldn’t be, but are trusted to witness. There’s something powerful about how unpolished it is. It is just showing his new normal. Also, his wife made me so sad. You see love, but you also see so much exhaustion. It was so heartbreaking to watch her see the love of her life slowly unravel and turn into his disease.

I thought it was quite endearing how he made this for his son, so his son would have some memory of him before the illness. That framing makes the whole documentary feel like a time capsule. Every frame feels intentional in that way, like he’s curating how he’ll be remembered. I was really happy to know he is still alive and well 14 years later. I feel like it’s very hard to see your parents as individual people, but at the end of the day, they’ve been here longer than we have. They’ve lived full lives before we even existed. Watching him try to preserve himself for his son really forces you to confront that. He's trying to show his son his whole self before the illness becomes all he is. This was really sad, but such a good reminder to be grateful for my life and health.

raw and sad, a movie to watch once and never again

raw and sad, a movie to watch once and never again

This was undoubtedly the most heart wrenching doco/movie I’ve ever watched.  
The stadium chant gave me goosebumps holy shit. The pearl jam and his interview with his father were great. The ending of Steve and Rivers with Rivers and Roses in the background really sealed this movie as one of my favourite.

I would never wish anyone would have ALS, even my biggest enemy. 

Steve seems like a great role model. And someone who i would base my future self on. 10 years since this doco i hope Michel and Steve are doing great

This was undoubtedly the most heart wrenching doco/movie I’ve ever watched.  
The stadium chant gave me goosebumps holy shit. The pearl jam and his interview with his father were great. The ending of Steve and Rivers with Rivers and Roses in the background really sealed this movie as one of my favourite.

I would never wish anyone would have ALS, even my biggest enemy. 

Steve seems like a great role model. And someone who i would base my future self on. 10 years since this doco i hope Michel and Steve are doing great

Watched this for my sports in contemporary media (journalism) class and good god I don't have enough words to talk about what I watched. It's a sad and uplifting story all at once. The film utilizes personal footage filmed on Gleason's camera that makes you feel as if you are a part of the family. I never heard of Gleason before and in a way, it's a good or bad thing. The point Gleason tries to make is that he doesn't want to be known for his ALS but for all the good work that he and his foundation have done. But man seeing each log where Gleason's body begins to become more and more taken by this disease is just saddening. To me, it felt like I just wanted to stop watching the movie or someone who found a way to stop it from getting worse. There's even a moment here where Steve now non-verbal asks his wife why he keeps ignoring him when they are trying to sleep and it just broke me. But seems the two work together and prevail was great to see and I am glad he has done so much with what has been taken from him. A great movie that finds the right ways to get that emotional impact.

Watched this for my sports in contemporary media (journalism) class and good god I don't have enough words to talk about what I watched. It's a sad and uplifting story all at once. The film utilizes personal footage filmed on Gleason's camera that makes you feel as if you are a part of the family. I never heard of Gleason before and in a way, it's a good or bad thing. The point Gleason tries to make is that he doesn't want to be known for his ALS but for all the good work that he and his foundation have done. But man seeing each log where Gleason's body begins to become more and more taken by this disease is just saddening. To me, it felt like I just wanted to stop watching the movie or someone who found a way to stop it from getting worse. There's even a moment here where Steve now non-verbal asks his wife why he keeps ignoring him when they are trying to sleep and it just broke me. But seems the two work together and prevail was great to see and I am glad he has done so much with what has been taken from him. A great movie that finds the right ways to get that emotional impact.