“Athlete A” Review by Brooke Daugherty
July 6, 2020 10:03 am |
Warning: this documentary discusses many instances of molestation, so please skip if it could cause any trauma. This documentary isn’t just about the reporters, it includes interviews with the survivors themselves.
In 2016, a former gymnast alleged Larry Nassar abused her in the name of physical therapy while she was a child. What happened next was a barrage of women coming forward to tell their stories, if only anonymously at first. Over 250 women came forward from 23 years worth of “therapy” Nassar conducted. Many of his survivors were harassed online which is unfortunately not uncommon when women speak out against abuse.
Child abuse is a despicable and uncomfortable topic, but directors Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk capture the essence of investigative reporting while respecting the survivors involved. Steve Bert, Marisa Kwiatkowski, Mark Alesia, and Tim Evans left no stone unturned when it came to finding out how far the cover-up went in the gymnastics community. They found out not only did some coaches know, but Steve Penny, President of USA Gymnastics knew and did nothing about it. These journalists found out he even offered a job to one of the FBI agents on his case.
Not only is this story terrible, but it shows what Americans will do to be the best and keep unsullied the reputation of “good men”. Hundreds more women came forward. So many of their stories were the same. They felt like they couldn’t say anything without backlash or jeopardizing their gymnastic aspirations. Others reported to have it filed away and never spoken of again. These situations are all too familiar for women who have been abused and harassed. Heartbreaking and well done.
PCL Rating: Tupperware
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: FRESH 🍅
Tags: Athlete A movie, Movie, pop culture leftovers
Categorised in: Movie Reviews
This post was written by Leftover Brian
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