Life. Support. Music.
March 2, 2008 at 4:20 p.m.
Life. Support. Music. was incredibly powerful an such an inspirational, strong story. I only had read a few intros of the documentary before going to see it, so I was not exactly sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised. I have some critical comments regarding editing, narration and a few directorial decisions, but the material itself is so powerful that such minor things were easily overlooked.
The title, Life. Support. Music., is introduced 10-15 minutes into the film. The narration at this point is very cheesy ("He started to build a life") and the director speaks with a soft, airy tone that didn't seem to match the tone of the interviewees. So, my first thoughts about the title was that the director was trying to hard to be artsy and abstract, and the message would be weighed down by a weak title. Turns out I was very wrong.
Throughout the film, and it wasn't apparent to me until the credits rolled, there were three constant themes of Life, Support and Music. These were the three important factors that the documentary revolved around.
Life: Jason almost died because of a type of rare brain hemorrhage. He had two years of setbacks, falling in and out of consciousness, therapy, infections and more where he struggled to stay alive. In addition, his first child was born.
Support: Jason's family were critical to his recovery. The story revolves around their recounts of the ordeal, and his sister takes the largest role in the film and the actual process of recovery. Without this support, doctors say, Jason would not have pulled through. The Lower East Side music community was also extremely supportive of Jason and cared deeply about his return to normalcy and return to music.
Music: Music is the way that Jason expressed himself. It was his passion. The music community rallied around him and threw benefits. The film ends with Jason able to play a show on stage again and finish the album that was shelved when he fell sick. His guitar was a form of therapy for him, physically and mentally; he was severely depressed until he was able to pick up a guitar and start playing again.
After watching the film and watching the three elements unfold and intertwine, I can't think of a better title than the director's choice of Life. Support. Music. I had tears in my eyes countless times while watching the film, but the real kicker was when Jason, his sister and his father joined the director on stage after the film to answer questions. Seeing him in person and listening to him speak solidified the elements of the film and showed that hope and faith really does produce miracles. As dramatic as it sounds, I walked out of Windsor Auditorium feeling like I was a better person for having heard Jason's story.
- Hannah Martine
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