Gleason

J. Clay Tweel's 2016 documentary follows the years after former football player Steve Gleason's ALS diagnosis. Gleason was diagnosed at thirty-four and learned weeks later that his wife Michel was pregnant. He began keeping a video journal to leave for his unborn son, and the documentary is built on those recordings, covering four years. The footage does not hide the progression of the illness: the loss of speech, of swallowing and of breath in turn, the exhaustion of the caregiving spouse, the strain on the marriage and Gleason's unresolved business with his own father are all plainly present. This is not an inspirational sports story; it chooses to show the daily weight of the disease. The foundation Gleason established provides technology to people with ALS. Who it's for: viewers who can take intimate personal documentary. Who it's not for: anyone who would rather not approach terminal illness and the burden of care; the film does not soften them.