Life. Support. Music.

Eric Daniel Metzgar's Life. Support. Music. offers a moving account of the long road back to health for Jason Crigler, a New York guitarist who suffered a massive brain hemorrhage while on stage in Manhattan in 2004 and stumbled into the arms of his pregnant wife. Although he survived, Crigler's injury was so severe that it left him in a vegetative state with questionable chances for improvement. But as viewers will witness here, extensive therapy at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Center in Massachusetts, together with the steadfast support of family and friends after he was strong enough to leave the hospital, helped Crigler rebound to an astonishing degree. In fact, by 2007 Crigler had not only once again mastered ordinary day-to-day functions but also had returned to the stage, initially in brief guest appearances with other performers and then in full concerts. At times Metzgar's film feels a little too pat (a family dinner in which members talk about what Crigler' recovery has meant to them has a certain staged quality), but there's no denying the power of the wrenching scenes of rehabilitation and genuinely touching shots of Crigler's supportive fans after his comeback concert. Also featuring interviews with musicians such as Norah Jones and Marshall Crenshaw, this uplifting documentary is recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)