LIfe. Support. Music. (2008)

67% of critics liked it
(9 reviews)
63% of users liked it
(524 ratings)

The resilience of the human spirit and the restorative power of true love serve as the focal points of this documentary, which follows the recovery process of a gifted guitarist stricken by a debilitating brain hemorrhage. Guitarist Jason Crigler was performing a 2004 concert in Manhattan when he… More The resilience of the human spirit and the restorative power of true love serve as the focal points of this documentary, which follows the recovery process of a gifted guitarist stricken by a debilitating brain hemorrhage. Guitarist Jason Crigler was performing a 2004 concert in Manhattan when he suddenly collapsed. Crigler had suffered from a massive brain hemorrhage, and he was lucky just to be alive. According to his doctors, it was highly unlikely that Crigler would ever even walk again, much less pick up a guitar and start strumming. But then something remarkable happened: Crigler's pregnant wife and the couple's devoted family decided not to accept the doctor's diagnosis and to take the recovery of their beloved into their own hands. Over the course of the next three years, Crigler's family worked around the clock to reactivate his brain by stimulating his intellect and showering him with love. In an era when doctors consistently fall back on scientific progress in order to gauge their patient's potential for recovery, could the power of relationships prove strong enough to conjure up a medical miracle? ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 19 min.
Directed By: Eric Metzgar
Genres: Documentary, Special Interest

In Theaters: Feb 6, 2009 Wide
Studio: Merigold Moving Pictures

Critic Reviews

V.A. Musetto, New York Post
Perhaps the film should be called Life. Support. Music. Pretension.
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times
If you can get past the excruciating title, Life. Support. Music. is a blessedly nimble journey from loss to reclamation.
Ronnie Scheib, Variety
As in Metzgar's Chances of the World Changing and his recent Reporter, the helmer's quiet narration and sharp focus grant his subjects a matter-of-fact dignity.
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice
Eric Daniel Metzgar has made a not-very-good movie marked by his consistent inability to let the material speak for itself.
Avi Offer, NYC Movie Guru
A mostly touching, inspirational and engrossing documentary.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
Inspiring story of how the love of his family and his creativity are lifelines pulling a young man with a brain hemorrhage back into the land of the living.
John P. McCarthy, Boxoffice Magazine
Metzgar, whose previous two docs received awards, should consider making a follow-up movie down the road. Wherever Jason and his family are at that point, odds are it will provide another opportunity to shed tears of joy and sorrow.
Micah Towery, Slant Magazine
Suffers from its inability to disentangle its sentimental attachments from what is universally empathic.
Drew Toal, Time Out New York
Watching Crigler go from likable, ax-wielding guy to a prone figure who can't even close his mouth, and then his eventual return to the stage, is inspiring, and reaffirms our belief in the healing power of rock & roll.