Go Far: The Christopher Rush Story

Mark Hamill provides the posthumous voice of Christopher Rush, a remarkable young man whose physical burdens—brought on by a form of muscular dystrophy—did not dent his large personality or his will to achieve what many thought impossible. Perhaps best remembered as a bright-eyed, confident boy who became the Muscular Dystrophy Association's poster child in the 1980s and appeared on television with the likes of Jerry Lewis, Tony Orlando, and David Hasselhoff during annual telethons, Rush impressed everyone who knew him as a positive, can-do kid who faced adversity with humor and grace. Drawing on an abundance of archival material, including home videos, photos, and TV footage, along with interviews of family, friends, and Rush himself (who died in 2007 at the age of 30), filmmaker Zack Arnold's Go Far delivers a rich history of Rush's life, which was often lived in the public eye. Rush defied all odds by living long enough to graduate from high school and attend law school, while also becoming the first paraplegic in America to be a licensed scuba diver. Hamill's involvement here is no accident: Star Wars and its core philosophy of embracing a force stronger than ourselves was a big part of what kept Rush (a big fan) going. An inspiring portrait, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)