James Keach’s documentary focuses on Augie Nieto, a fitness industry executive best known for building the Lifecycle and Life Fitness brands during the 1980s and ‘90s. The athletic Nieto was the perfect ambassador for his product line, recognized as one of the most innovative and charismatic executives in corporate America. In 2005, while vacationing in Vietnam, Nieto began experiencing mobility problems and upon returning to the U.S. was diagnosed with ALS. Although he initially reacted to the news with a suicide attempt, he regained composure and launched a foundation to encourage further research into ALS and potential treatments. Unfortunately, Nieto’s physical condition deteriorated rapidly and he is now dependent on round-the-clock caregivers and communications via computer technology. Keach crisscrosses between the daily routines experienced by Nieto and his wife Lynne, conversations involving Nieto’s siblings and children, and news coverage of Nieto in his physical prime. While Nieto is an inspiring personality—he maintains a salty sense of humor, with mildly off-color jokes relayed through his computer communications system—the film’s pacing is surprisingly sluggish. Still, this should be considered a strong optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)
Augie
(2017) 84 min. DVD: $19.99. Virgil Films (avail. from most distributors). Closed captioned. Volume 33, Issue 4
Augie
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: