NEW ORLEANS — Former New Orleans Saints player Steve Gleason was never going to turn a film documenting his life with Lou Gehrig's disease into a sanitized, feel-good story of triumph in the face of tragedy.
Arguably more famous now for how he lives with ALS than he ever was for football, Gleason is more nuanced and genuine than that. And so is the documentary, "GLEASON," which premieres Saturday at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
Viewers might find themselves outside of their comfort zones seeing Gleason's physical decline in graphic detail, and the profound sadness it causes loved ones who can't help but wish none of this had ever happened — proud as they are of the way Gleason has confronted his mortality with grace, humor and drive.