GLEASON

As the extraordinary film “Gleason” opens this weekend in Spokane and throughout the Inland Northwest, The Coeur d’Alene Press met one of its producers with an intimate connection to the story.

Kimi Culp, who spends summer vacations with her parents, Debby and Tom Davidson, in Coeur d’Alene, has known the documentary’s star, Steve Gleason, for years.

“It’s been a long and winding road to make this film, and we’re excited to be sharing it with people,” Culp said.

Steve’s wife, Michel Varisco, was Culp’s college roommate and remains one of her closest friends. Culp was a bridesmaid at Steve and Michel’s wedding.

“This is the lake where Steve Gleason has made some great memories,” Culp said. “It’s near and dear to his heart and a big backdrop to his life. There are lots of roots and a lot of love in this community for Steve and his family.”

“Gleason” was a knockout at Sundance and was picked up by Amazon Studios and Open Road Films for distribution. It has support from a number of artists, musicians and athletes, in particular Drew Brees and Pearl Jam. As the film continues to open in select cities, “Gleason” has had a particularly profound effect on audiences.

As one Facebook dad put it:

“Having a bad day? Bogged down in petty shit?? Wish your kids would give you a break for just a little while? You can make all that go away by going to see Gleason… if you have a child, if you have a parent (I’ll bet you do), if you think you have adversity, hell, if you have a pulse then you MUST — WITHOUT ANY HESITATION — go and see this film. This is a powerful, powerful piece of art. Last night the entire theater sat through all the credits and for about five minutes after the screen went dark nobody moved, nobody talked. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Gleason, a Gonzaga Prep graduate and standout athlete at Washington State University, went on to play football for the New Orleans Saints. He became a legend in that town after he blocked a punt on the night the Louisiana Superdome reopened after Hurricane Katrina.

The film follows his diagnosis with ALS at the age of 34, and his discovery that his wife, Michel, was pregnant with their first child. Determined to live his remaining years to their fullest, Steve goes on an expedition to Alaska, creates a foundation to help other ALS patients, repairs a rocky relationship with his father, and embraces new technologies to help compensate for his deteriorating physical abilities — all with Michel’s support.

Culp began her career as a broadcast journalist for Diane Sawyer at “Good Morning America.” She went on to produce at the “Oprah Winfrey Show” and the Oprah Winfrey Network.

Seized by the importance of Gleason’s story, she teamed up with Gleason’s “NFL brother” Scott Fujita and a group of the Gleasons’ friends to launch Dear Rivers Productions Company, named after Steve and Michel’s son who plays an important role in the film.

The filmmakers spent five intimate years with the couple in order to bring their amazing story to the screen.

“My background is in storytelling, particularly telling stories of real people,” Culp said. “Never did I imagine I would tell the story of one of my best friends. I became deeply involved in the power of that story, and they trusted me to play a part in sharing it.

“I have never had subjects who were willing to be this unflinchingly raw and vulnerable. You see the birth of a child, Steve documenting his confrontation with death, the couple’s honest conversations and his very personal diaries to his son.”

As a producer, Culp has seen the film countless times by now.

“The moment that stands out was the first time I saw it in a large theater with an audience at Sundance. We were waiting breathlessly for a reaction. It was overwhelming. To see Steve and Michel walk out in front of the theater to a standing ovation was something I’ll never forget.”

The story of Michel as a caregiver has particular resonance.

“There is an unexpected beauty in the voice of Michel, dealing with this in her own way,” Culp said. “As we travel around, caretakers and women have found so much validation in her story.”

For the huge team behind this film, including director Clay Tweel, the most rewarding part of the project is the impact “Gleason” has on those who see it.

“We’ve had self-admitted workaholic fathers go home and wake up their daughters and say, ‘Point to someplace on the map, right now. I want to take you there.’ At Sundance, a lady walked out of the film and called her mom, and said it was the most honest and loving conversation they’d ever had,” Culp said. “This story inspires people to look within, and really evaluate their personal relationships while realizing how precious their time is here."