Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I saw an advance screening of Gleason in Chicago on 8/2/16 at River East 21 downtown. I knew nothing of the story of Steve Gleason before watching the movie, as I'm not a football fan. I think this ranks as one of the best documentaries I've ever seen and is probably the best sports-related movie I've ever seen as well. I think that Steve and his wife Michel are probably the two bravest people on the planet, because they gave the filmmakers permission to really show them in an unvarnished way. This movie is no-hold-barred honest. Steve documented the progression of his ALS from the day of his diagnosis through the gradual loss of abilities. He would show when he would lose the ability to run, the ability to walk without a cane, the ability to speak etc. The movie shows the progression of the illness as Steve races to make journal entries to communicate with his son (who was not born yet) and teach him everything he wants to as a dad while he still has the ability to speak. Simultaneously, Steve starts the Gleason Foundation to raise money to help other people with ALS, choosing to focus on raising funds to provide machines that help the ALS afflicted communicate with computers. Steve word-banks the way he speaks so that his own computer voice can more closely match his real voice (instead of being a generic robot voice like Siri). The movie is brutally honest depicting everything that Steve and Michel had to do to get ready for the day when Steve was no longer able to speak or function on his own. The movie does not make either of them look like saints because they are not saints, but instead real people. They make mistakes. They are not perfect. The movie shows just how humiliating and embarrassing all of this can be, where a former pro football star who was a hero to everyone on the field has been reduced to depending on others for everyday things like eating and bathing and using the bathroom. Steve made the choice early on that he would use every bit of technology to stay alive and never give up because he wanted to see his son grow up. The most crushing and cruel aspect of ALS is that Steve's brain is working like it always does, it's just that his brain no longer communicates with his muscles. So Steve's brain is alive and well and he is fully aware of everything. He just can't move any longer. He can still speak using his eyes and the movie shows how that special device works. Steve championed a bill in Congress to keep Medicare from declining the purchasing of these kinds of machines for others. Because of him and his efforts, other people with ALS will not lose their voices now. Steve Gleason is a remarkable man. He and his wife Michel really are heroes, even if they are too modest to call themselves that. You should really see this movie because it is a depiction of the never-quiet and never-surrender American spirit. "No white flags" became Steve's motto, where you never wave the white flag and give up. He fought on because he wanted to be there for his son and everything he does he did for his son and to help others with ALS. He is a remarkable man and this movie really captures that spirit.