Wednesday, November 11, 2015

A New High (2015) DOC NYC 2015

At the Union Gospel Mission director and ex-Army Ranger Mike Johnson helps the people staying at the shelter to clean themselves up by having make a year long commitment getting off drugs by becoming mountain climbers and summiting Mount Rainier.

Oh sue me I feel warm and tingly allover.  I really wish to hell I had seen this with a big audience so I could applaud like crazy and scream and cheer with a whole bunch of people when it ended.

A great feel good film about trying to get yourself on a straight and narrow path and prove to yourself you can achieve something.

While the film has some givens going in, you know that some people are going to make the climb, you know it's going to be warm and fuzzy with an occasional side of sadness, A NEW HIGH takes the givens and then gives you more. Yes you know the film is going to play on your heart strings but at the same time you really want these guys and gals to make it because we really come to understand them as more then just a random person with an addiction.

Of course it's clear that Johnson's method can't work for everyone, there are drop outs of his program, but for those it can work for it is truly something life changing.

I don't know what to say. I can quibble about things here and there, but ultimately this is the sort of film that kind of knocks it all away and just makes you feel good. This is a real life version of the heartwarming films that Hollywood used to turn out with regularity. Its inspiring and wonderfully full of hope and of life.

One of my early favorites at this years DOC NYC it's highly recommended.

A NEW HIGH has a single screening Saturday night at DOC NYC. For tickets and more information go here.

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