Gleason

Steve Gleason was a successful NFL player whose career highlight occurred when he was playing with the New Orleans Saints in their first game in the city's Superdome exactly a year after Hurricane Katrina. Gleason made a spectacular pass, enabling the team to win the game, which was a vital step in the recovery from the intolerable devastation suffered by the city. They called it "the rebirth" of New Orleans, and Gleason was named hero of the day.

A few years later, in 2011, after he had just retired from playing professionally, Gleason -- then just 34 years old -- was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig disease. Gleason was told that he had two to five years to live. Six months after that, when he and Michelle his artist wife were still trying to come to terms with Gleason's illness, they discovered that Michelle was pregnant with their first child. This put more urgency on the question of how they should deal with their situation, given that their research into Gleason's condition had uncovered the fact that, while Gleason would keep his cognitive functions, in a very short time he would lose all ability to move and speak.

From the word go, it is obvious in the documentary "Gleason" that he is an irrepressibly optimistic man who is extremely good natured and generous. He easily channels all his energies into what he considers to be paramount for the future. To this end, he starts making regular video records for his as-yet-unborn son, just in case he's still not around when the boy is older. He insists to Michelle that they live life to the full, even though it gets increasingly difficult once the disease starts to take hold. Michelle is a tower of strength, but she soon can't handle all the physical lifting when Gleason becomes weaker, so she persuades their hunky neighbor, Blair, to becomes a full-time caregiver with a simple threat: "If you don't take the job, I'll kick you in the balls!"

Gleason knows that he has a great support system he can depend on, but as he becomes aware of how tough it is on others -- and how expensive it is -- he persuades Michelle's father to help them start a foundation in aid of other, less fortunate ALS sufferers. The Gleason Foundation, with its defiant catch phrase "No more white flags," was set up to finance special equipment in treatment centers and to provide special treats, like a surprise dream holiday, to others who simply couldn't afford them.

The ever-present camera records not just the rapid decline of Gleason's body, but also the highlights of his struggle, such as his sheer determination in conquering the sight-talk machine once he can no longer speak. However, even this remarkably strong man has his "off" days, and some of the most heartbreaking moments are when he is at his lowest and he questions his wife's attitude to him and the process, and even his own purpose in still being around. It takes an immense amount of bravery on both their parts to deal with this once-healthy man becoming a mere shadow of his former self, but it is even more courageous of both of them to allow these very intimate scenes to be shown.

His old teammates treat him as a hero, and they not only erect a statue of his moment of glory in "the re-birth," but they also get totally on board, actively supporting the work of the Foundation. The only real fly in the ointment is Gleason's father, a right-wing fundamentalist who, at every single opportunity, tries to impose his own unshakable faith on his son; this makes for some very tense moments between the two of them. But Gleason's relationship with his own son Rivers is exceptional, and so full love that it makes for a real highlight of the whole film.

The documentary is directed by J. Clay Tweel and, with its unparalleled access, is a powerful piece of filmmaking. The film shows how the family unflinchingly deals with something that could have torn them apart, but which instead brought them closer together. It will probably be one of the most emotional and heartbreaking stories you will see all year, so be sure to have a large box of Kleenex ready.