Director Clay Tweel’s intimate portrait of former New Orleans safety Steve Gleason avoids obvious tear-jerking, making this inspirational tale all the more powerful
Steve Gleason’s success was always unlikely: From his time as a too-small college linebacker to his NFL career as a safety with the New Orleans Saints to his second act as an ALS activist, he’s been a defying odds — and conventional wisdom — for years.
Clay Tweel’s “Gleason” documents the agony and the ecstasy of its subject’s life, and is similarly exceptional in its avoidance of the cliches so common among inspiring documentaries.
The tear-jerking subject matter is presented in a sobering, un-sensationalized manner apropos of Gleason himself. Plainspoken but authoritative in his own way, he reacts to his ALS (aka Lou Gehrig’s Disease) diagnosis at the age of 33 with a kind of cautious optimism. (It was Gleason’s diagnosis, in fact, that spawned the entire online ice-bucket challenge that went viral last year.) His own health issues are further complicated when he learns, six weeks later, that his wife is pregnant.
Lines like “It’s not gonna crush my life, even if it crushes my body” and “I believe there is more in my future than in my past” would come across as platitudes when spoken by most others, but Gleason makes good on these promises. You get the sense that this couldn’t have happened to a nicer person, yes, but it also couldn’t happen to a stronger one.
Gleason endeared himself to New Orleans forever when, early in the Saints’ first post-Hurricane Katrina home game, he blocked a punt that led to a touchdown. It was the football equivalent of Mike Piazza’s post-9/11 home run that brought New York to its feet, a healing moment that made Gleason a folk hero among the Big Easy’s denizens for years to come. But you needn’t be a longtime admirer of his to feel a sinking feeling in your stomach as you watch his body deteriorate over the course of several years.
Tweel’s approach is no-frills, with much of the footage having been shot by Gleason and his wife Michel. This is wise: The story itself is so wrenching that any attempt to gussy it up would run the risk of feeling overwrought, even manipulative. The home-movie feel lends an air of intimacy that makes it even harder to bear — “The Theory of Everything” provided a dramatization of surpassing the average post-ALS life expectancy, but here truth is stronger than fiction.
It’s a slow descent, with plenty of time between the initial diagnosis and the onset of Gleason’s most visible symptoms. He fills these weeks and months with what was surely hour upon hour of video diaries, capturing both Gleason’s ruminations on the implications of his impending fatherhood and a trip he and his wife take to seize every healthy day they have together. These scenes are deeply bittersweet, with Gleason showing the kind of courage to which most could only aspire.
Whatever uplift is present in “Gleason” is extremely hard-won. Tweel in no way shies away from Gleason’s struggles; if anything, all involved appear to insist on their inclusion. Gleason is a saint on and off the field, ditto his wife, but “Gleason” isn’t a hagiography. Tweel’s warts-and-all offering doesn’t shy away from the uncomfortable details of its subject’s failing body or of his wife’s waning confidence in her abilities to take care of him (to say nothing of their son) as he loses the physical ability to do either.
The result is, among other things, a portrait of the kind of love emphasized in wedding vows but often forgotten about afterward. Watch the silent rage in Michel’s eyes, for instance, as Steve’s attempt to square his semi-strained relationship with his religious father leads them to a faith healer, a wrenching experience that only exacerbates the situation.
“Gleason” is as much about fathers and sons, and husbands and wives, as it is about ALS or even Gleason himself. He addresses his thoughts on life, death, and everything in between to his unborn son in the knowledge that, by the time the boy is old enough to have a conversation with him, he’ll no longer be able to speak. It’s a treasure trove of insight that anyone would be lucky to have from their father, though it comes at a great sacrifice — a fitting metaphor for “Gleason” itself.
'OJ: Made In America,' and the 30 Other Game-Changing '30 for 30' Films (Photos)
The five-part "O.J.: Made In America" marks a watershed moment for "30 for 30," the ESPN documentary series that has proven to be one of the best concepts the network has ever come up with. Co-created by Connor Schell and Bill Simmons in 2009 to chronicle 30 stories from the "ESPN era" beginning with the network's founding in 1979, the series has elevated filmmakers, creating unforgettable works that have received awards, critical acclaim and festival selections many times over.
30. "Trojan War" Pete Carroll turned the USC Trojans into the first college football powerhouse of the 21st century before leaving for the Seattle Seahawks amidst NCAA sanctions. USC alum Aaron Rahsaan Thomas looks at the beginning of the Trojans' steady decline: The Team's loss in the 2006 national championship game against Texas.
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29. "The Price of Gold" The Tonya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan scandal was one of the most disgraceful in women's sports. It was also insanely profitable for figure skating. Director Nanette Burstein takes a look at the incident 20 years later and what it meant for both the sport and Harding's turbulent life.
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28. "Youngstown Boys" The rise and fall of college dynasties and the corrupt side of school sports has been a regular topic on "30 For 30." The film takes a look at the scandals that surrounded Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel and fallen star Maurice Clarrett, the latter of whom ended up in prison.
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27. "The 16th Man" This documentary about the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was hosted by South Africa shortly after the end of Apartheid, featured Morgan Freeman -- who played Nelson Mandela in the biopic, "Invictus," -- is the narrator.
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26. "The Birth of Big Air" What if I told you the guys who made "Jackass" contributed to this series? After earning fame by filming guys doing stupid things, Jeff Tremaine directed this documentary about the life of Mat Hoffman, the greatest BMX rider of all time. Hoffman's interviews reveal the drive that not only defines his life, but the core philosophy of action sports as well.
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25. "Winning Time" This film is one of the lighter pieces in the "30 For 30" lineup, but also one of the best executed. It focuses on the playoff duels between the Pacers and Knicks in the mid-90s, a series that made Reggie Miller one of the top NBA players not named Michael Jordan, especially when taunting Knicks fanatic, Spike Lee.
24. Straight Outta L.A. In the 80s, Al Davis took his ball and left Oakland, bringing his Raiders to Los Angeles. In the 13 seasons they played there, the Silver and Black captivated their temporary home, as well as this documentary's director, Ice Cube. "Straight Outta L.A." shows how L.A. and the Raiders were a perfect fit for each other, and how they inspired the imagery and philosophy of N.W.A.
23. "Playing for the Mob" Jim Sweeney was a Rhodes Scholar and a Naismith Award-winning superstar at Boston College. So why did he take money as part of a points-shaving scheme? "Playing For The Mob," directed Joe Lavine and Cayman Grant, is another great corrupt college sports tale.
22. "Jordan Rides The Bus" At the peak of his athletic and cultural dominance, Michael Jordan stunned everyone by leaving basketball to give minor league baseball a try. "Bull Durham" director Ron Shelton, himself a former minor league player, goes inside the motives that led one sport's greatest ever to enter a sport where he was outmatched by so many.
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21. "Bad Boys" The '89-90 Detroit Pistons are one of the forgotten great teams in NBA history, which is weird because in their time they were hated. "Bad Boys" looks at Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer, and the rest of the players that made up one of the grittiest, most physical teams in basketball history.
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20. "Of Miracles And Men" What's it like to be on the losing end of a miracle? "Of Miracles and Men" looks at the Soviets who lost the "Miracle on Ice" and goes beyond that upset to show what it was like to be a hockey player blocked from playing in the NHL by the Iron Curtain.
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19. "Fernando Nation" In 1959, the Latino residents of L.A.'s Chavez Ravine were forcibly evicted so their homes could make way for the construction of Dodger Stadium. Two decades later, a chubby 19-year-old from Sonora, Mexico, named Fernando Valenzuela became the biggest star not just on the Dodgers, but all of baseball.
18. "Four Days In October" The 2004 American League Championship Series was the kind of sports moment "30 for 30" was made for. The Yankees were three outs away from once again killing the dreams of their rivals and sports' most famous losers, the Red Sox. Instead, the Red Sox rallied from a 3-0 series deficit, and "Four Days In October" shows how the infamous Curse of the Bambino was broken in the most unlikely of circumstances.
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17. "Slaying the Badger" The 1986 Tour de France is widely considered to be the greatest story in cycling history. American Greg LeMond had helped his teammate Bernard Hinault win the previous year, and Hinault had pledged to return the favor. What unfolded that year en route to LeMond becoming the first American to win the Tour showed how cycling is a constant struggle between rivalry and friendship; individual and team.
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16. "Requiem For The Big East" "O.J. Simpson: Made In America" isn't the first documentary Ezra Edelman has made for ESPN. "Requiem for the Big East" was a dive into one of his favorite things in sports: Big East college basketball. He ties in the conference's rise with that of ESPN and shows how the two forces combined to change college basketball into the form we know today.
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15. "The Announcement" Magic Johnson has become such an esteemed elder statesman in basketball and in Los Angeles that it's easy to forget the trials he faced when he revealed he had HIV. "The Announcement" restores weight to his famous confession and explores what Magic faced shortly after his sudden retirement.
14. "Kings Ransom" August 9, 1988, was a red letter day for hockey and a day that has lived in infamy for Canada. Wayne Gretzky, national hero, was being traded from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings. "Kings Ransom" explores the intense backlash the move received north of the border and the transformative impact it had on the NHL, as Gretzky helped expand the sport's appeal into new territory as he led the Kings to their first Stanley Cup Final appearance.
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13. "I Hate Christian Laettner" This is one of the funniest "30 for 30" to date. Christian Laettner was one of the most dominant college hoops players of his time, and like the university he played for, everyone loved to hate him. Rory Karpf talks with Laettner in a film that explores how an athlete can inspire such passionate hatred for reasons both valid and ludicrous.
12. "You Don't Know Bo" Bo Jackson never won a championship, but he did something even better: he became a mythical figure. With the help of some creative animated pieces, Michael Bonfiglio delves through fact and fiction to explore the incredible legend Bo built around himself -- and what he left behind.
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11. "Pony Excess" Thaddeus Matula was the son of an SMU professor and a rabid fan of the school's football team, the Mustangs. He was eight when the Mustangs faced the unthinkable: the NCAA was shutting down their program for two years, bringing an end to their dominance. "Pony Excess" is Matula's retelling of that scandal, digging into the football team's dealings with oil tycoons and corrupt politicians in a city and decade that was consumed by greed.
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10. "Broke" A sobering documentary that proves the adage "mo' money, mo' problems" is more true than you might believe. Billy Corben interviews retired athletes who lost all their wealth from their pro career through poor investments, bad friends, and of course, the temptation of materialism.
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9. "Fantastic Lies" Marina Zenovich, director of "Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired," created this scathing piece on the 2006 Duke Lacrosse case, exposing how the public's outrage at injustice can sometimes become overzealous and catch innocent people in the crossfire.
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8. "Muhammad and Larry" In 1980, Muhammad Ali wanted one more title match against Larry Holmes. The fight proved what everyone but Ali already knew: The Greatest was past his prime. Using archival footage of the fight he shot himself, director Albert Maysles shows the humanity of both fighters, including the dark side of Ali that fueled his competitiveness, and the reluctance of Holmes to put down his friend and idol for good.
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7. "Catching Hell" Every Cubs fan wonders what might have happened if Steve Bartman had let Moises Alou catch that foul ball in 2003. Director Alex Gibney lifts the curtain on what happened to Bartman after that infamous catch and questions why sports fans so often dwell on singular moments of bad luck.
6. "The Best That Never Was" Marcus Dupree was the greatest high school football recruit of his generation and the pride of his hometown of Philadelphia. He then went to Oklahoma and quickly fizzled out. Director Jonathan Hock tracked down Dupree to find out what went wrong and how Dupree was able to come to peace with the direction his life ended up taking.
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5. "Four Falls of Buffalo" It hurts to watch your team lose a title. To have that happen four straight years is almost unimaginable. Yet that's what Buffalo Bills fans experienced as their team lost four consecutive Super Bowls. But instead of just lamenting their defeats, "Four Falls of Buffalo" becomes a love letter to the city the Bills call home, as well as a call to really consider just what the Bills managed to achieve.
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4. "The U" In the 80s, a pair of cultural phenomena changed Miami forever: "Miami Vice" and The U. This documentary follows the latter, showing how the Canes' dominance brought South Florida's most well-known university unprecedented fame and party school cred before it hit a brutal decline.
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3. "June 17, 1994" Everyone remembers where they were when O.J. Simpson drove that white Bronco, but do you remember what else happened that day? From Stanley Cup parades and World Cup matches to the MLB lockout, director Brett Morgen explores a day in sports history unlike any other in one of the first prominent "30 For 30" installments.
2. "Hillsborough" "Hillsborough" covers the human crush at an FA Cup match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in 1989 that killed 96 people. Police blamed fans for the incident, but a new inquest exonerated them and delivered a verdict of unlawful killing earlier this year.
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1. "The Two Escobars" This is not only the greatest "30 for 30;" it is also one of the greatest documentaries in recent memory. Andres Escobar was a hero to the people of Colombia, yet the national team he played for was bankrolled with by the infamous drug kingpin Pablo Escobar. "The Two Escobars" is one of the finest examples of how sports can become more than a game. Sometimes, it can all too literally become a matter of life and death.
From “The U” to “The Two Escobars,” we count down the 30 greatest documentaries that ESPN’s critically-acclaimed series has gifted us
The five-part "O.J.: Made In America" marks a watershed moment for "30 for 30," the ESPN documentary series that has proven to be one of the best concepts the network has ever come up with. Co-created by Connor Schell and Bill Simmons in 2009 to chronicle 30 stories from the "ESPN era" beginning with the network's founding in 1979, the series has elevated filmmakers, creating unforgettable works that have received awards, critical acclaim and festival selections many times over.
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Tweel’s approach is no-frills, with much of the footage having been shot by Gleason and his wife Michel. This is wise: The story itself is so wrenching that any attempt to gussy it up would run the risk of feeling overwrought, even manipulative. The home-movie feel lends an air of intimacy that makes it even harder to bear — “The Theory of Everything” provided a dramatization of surpassing the average post-ALS life expectancy, but here truth is stronger than fiction.
