Steve Gleason was a New Orleans Saints linebacker whose career hit a peak in September 2006 at the Superdome, when he blocked a punt by the Atlanta Falcons that was picked up by teammate Curtis Deloatch and run in for a touchdown—the first score for the Saints on their home turf since Hurricane Katrina. Gleason retired from football in 2008, and three years later his life took a double twist: Gleason was diagnosed with ALS (more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease) shortly before his wife Michel learned they were expecting their first child. Clay Tweel's film offers a video diary of efforts by the couple to deal with these parallel developments. Some of the footage is harsh—especially when Michel angrily objects to Gleason's father's decision to bring his physically failing son to a dubious faith healer—and the speed with which Gleason's vitality evaporates is harrowing. But the film has some curious gaps: the viewer has no idea how Gleason made a living after leaving football, and the film fails to acknowledge that the so-called bounty scandal involving Saints players deliberately injuring opponents arose as a result of an audio recording made during this production. Despite flaws, Gleason is a moving portrait of a brave family that also offers a raw firsthand look at the devastation created by ALS. Recommended. (P. Hall)
Gleason
Sony, 111 min., R, DVD: $30.99, Nov. 1 Volume 32, Issue 1
Gleason
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