Viewed in
2011
Formats
HDTV w/ commercials
Premise
A documentary about NBA player Chris Herren and his struggles with substance abuse.
Loved
Detailed account of addiction.
Liked
Emotional last third.
Thoughts
Thoroughly powerful and compelling.
Director Jonathan Hock did an excellent job of story-telling, letting the heart of this incredibly human odyssey shine. It was less of a sports-themed documentary, and more of a personal documentary set in sports. Herren's numerous rises and falls were amazing to experience.
There was great interviews with Herren, his wife, his brother, and friends. Together they illustrated in graphic detail about how lower-income origins, the pressures of being hometown hero, and in-circle enablers can make life hell for athletes who are addicts. You get a glimpse into the psyche of addicts who don't realize just how diseased they are.
Herren's brutal honesty about his journey propelled this film. There were no excuses, no blaming others, just the painful truth with tinge of regret as he relived every bad decision. The film makers and he visit actual places where he overdosed or failed as a husband/father. I felt like I walked in his shoes for a bit.
The road to recovery is long and arduous, and to see Herren amazingly redeem himself, to pull himself from his own prison, well, I couldn't help but shed a tear to see the human strength in him and his loved ones to overcome such an unstoppable obstacle. Just, wow.
If I had to nitpick, there were one too many reaction shots of the audience during Herren's lectures. His tale in the film was powerful enough. We didn't need to keep seeing how affected the lecture audience was. Also, I found the fake flashback shots distracting, like when they degraded the image in post just to give it the impression of archived footage. This story was strong enough that it didn't need to resort to cheap tricks.
After the NBA lockout, it left a bad taste in my mouth from hearing about rich people arguing with rich people. Herren's story put a human face onto a pampered athlete who had reached the top of the mountain, tumbled down to the depths of hell, and courageously pulled himself out.
Personal
As a big NBA fan, I was shocked that I never heard of him nor his plight until now.
