Back on Board: Greg Louganis (2014) Reviews

• Inspiring Documentary

  larrys32016-07-21

  This inspiring documentary centers on the life of Greg Louganis, considered by many to be the greatest diver of all-time, and the only male diver to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals in both the springboard and platform diving events (1984-Los Angeles and 1988-Seoul). However, the film shows the many difficulties and challenges Louganis faced in his life, from a very early age onward. Adopted at eight and a half months, and reared by a loving mother but distant father, Louganis was bullied in school for his darker skin and mild-mannered nature, as well as suffering from dyslexia. Additionally, he became aware of and began to hide the fact from everyone that he was gay. Apparently all of this was channeled into his incredible drive to be a great diver. Watching many of his dives in the movie, and from my own personal recollection, Louganis' form was indeed sheer perfection and the best I've ever seen. I won't go into complete details of what followed in his life, but let's just say his involvement with a male partner led to his becoming HIV positive and apparently the loss of a good part of his assets (although it is not specified in detail). The fact that he was rumored to be gay also led to millions of dollars in lost corporate endorsements , despite the fact that he was an Olympic superstar. In 1995, Louganis courageously announced to the world that he was gay and also HIV positive. Of course, in those years being gay did not receive the acceptance it has in recent years in America. Thus, with erratic income coming in we see he is facing today possible foreclosure on his Malibu home, and has sold many of his diving awards and assets. However, he's now been asked to mentor the young Olympic athletes that are getting ready to compete in the 2012 London Summer Games. You can easily see the positive effect this has on Louganis, and on the athletes as well, to have someone with his pedigree and quiet demeanor try and help them. Finally, we will see other positive changes taking place in his life, as he moves away from a lot of the unhappiness of the previous decades into a much better place. Overall, this HBO produced doc, directed by Cheryl Furjanic, was a well presented and well paced film, in my opinion. Louganis' honesty and courage was fully on display here, as well as his incredible diving talent, all detailed in concise interviews and historical footage. To note: there were no subtitles available on my DVD copy, bu the sound quality was quite good.

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• Enthralling Documentary

  bsb2982016-07-30

  Saw this at Doc NYC and do not remember the last time I was so enthralled by a documentary. The film follows the life story of perhaps one of the greatest Olympic athletes and definitely one of the greatest Olympic divers of all time: Greg Louganis. The film reveals Louganis' life from early childhood, where he was just getting into the sport, and struggling with being gay in a homophobic sport and world -- and follows him on his life journey to becoming one of the most successful athletes of all time. That journey was not without hardship, and the film touches upon a side of the story that would have gone otherwise undocumented by history -- what happens after the fame. Greg himself reveals to us how, despite being a huge Olympic star, his emotional and financial life was crumbling, and he felt rejected by the diving community itself. Another important thing about this documentary is that it demonstrates the power of documentary filmmaking to create change. At one point in the film, Greg laments that he never got a Wheaties box with him featured on the cover, despite many other equally and less successful athletes receiving that honor. Because of this film, a petition was started, and Greg finally got that Wheaties box. Greg Louganis' story is a truly gripping story and Cheryl Furjanic does a phenomenal job of capturing Greg's journey from start to finish. You'll laugh, smile, and cry watching this story that's gone largely untold, but needs to be heard. Do NOT miss this one! You will not be disappointed.

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• More of a profile of Greg than a film; should have been made 15 years ago

  derekjager2017-03-21

  This documentary has little impact since the story is really pretty flat and is basically a history of Greg's accomplishments, which are incredible, but we already know about them. I guess I was expecting something more dramatic with a title like "back on board." Except all of Greg's well-known drama (bad business partner years ago) are already well-known. So we're left with a "Where is he know?" profile, which really only needs about 15 minutes. Instead, we touch (lightly) on his childhood, his Olympic years, current financial troubles (which are never explained; how does he make an income now?), and recent marriage. So I give it a "5" or grade "C" for satisfactory.

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