Life. Support. Music.

Life. Support. Music. is a compelling and inspiring documentary released in 2008 that resonates with themes of recovery, hope, family, and the transformative power of music. Directed by Eric Daniel Metzgar, the film presents an intimate look into the challenging journey of Jason Crigler, a talented New York-based guitarist, who, in 2004, suffered a devastating brain hemorrhage while performing on stage.

The film opens with an introduction to the young and aspiring guitarist. Crigler had just begun establishing a name for himself in Manhattan’s indie music scene and was awaiting the birth of his first child with his wife, Monica, when his life took a tragic turn. At a concert at Manhattan's Lower East Side, Crigler was suddenly struck by a debilitating cerebellar hemorrhage. Initially, the prognosis was grim, with doctors predicting that he may never regain any of his faculties.

Coming from a musical background, Crigler is seen at the opening of the movie as an individual with a great passion and love for music. The film attempts to capture Crigler's deep-rooted connection with music, underscoring how integral it has been in his life, and crucially, how it becomes a beacon of hope during his darkest hours. It's Crigler's inspiring spirit, which shines through in the face of this adversity, that stands at the heart of Life. Support. Music.

What sets this film apart is not merely its subject matter, but the raw and unflinching storytelling style of Metzgar. Presented in a cinéma vérité style, Life. Support. Music. offers a close, personal account of one family's indomitable spirit against inconceivable odds. The film combines photos, home footage, and intimate interviews with Jason, his wife, his brother, and his parents to weave together a narrative both harrowing and uplifting in equal measure.

Crucial to this narrative is the tremendous support system that formed around Jason in the wake of his injury. His family, refusing to accept the doctors’ predictions, took on his rehabilitation full-time. Monica and her unborn child, his parents, and his brother committed themselves entirely to the task, constantly challenging Jason and helping him to relearn ordinary tasks. Essentially, the film highlights the power of uplifting human narratives in the face of adversities-many of which are faced by Jason in his rehabilitation journey.

The film details the slow and arduous recovery process Crigler endured, which saw him relearning everything from making a fist to walking again. Alongside these momentous physical feats, however, the film also closely follows the musical journey of Jason Crigler. It demonstrates his connection to music as his condition begins to improve, and how, with the toil and determined efforts by Jason and his family over several years, music ultimately re-enters his life, playing a role in his miraculous recovery.

Music not only serves as a platform for his therapeutic healing and recovery but also transcends to become Jason’s motivation and his means of communicating emotions and memories. The film culminates with him returning to the music stage, resonating an incredible journey of survival, recovery, and resilience, both physically and emotionally.

Life. Support. Music. is not a story of a musician's fall and rise, but one that expands a larger dialogue around family, music, medicine, and the holistic measures of recovery and rehabilitation. It is a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity which casts a heartfelt, uplifting, and inspiring light on one man's uphill battle to regain his life and return to his passion- music.

While the documentary doesn’t shy away from exploring the harsh reality and gravity of Crigler's injury, what’s more, prominent is the optimism and hope that underlines every frame of this film. It's a poignant reminder that even in the darkest corners of life, there are endless possibilities for hope, recovery, and the power of a close-knit family's love.