Glen Campbell decides to do one last farewell tour across America in the wake of being diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Despite the inherent risks, Campbell, his family, and members of his tour group are determined to soldier on regardless of whether or not things go 100% smoothly.
Standing tall not only as an incredibly moving and inspirational portrait of Campbell's admirable grace, humor, and above all courage in the face of a dreadful disease, but also as an equally touching and uplifting depiction of a wonderfully tight and compassionate family -- doting fourth wife Kim, sons Cal and Shannon, and simply extraordinary daughter Ashley, whose song "Remembering" is positively devastating in its sweet emotional candor about her father's unfortunate plight -- coming through for their husband and father like gangbusters in his time of greatest need. Moreover, it's a joy to see the audience being so loyal and supportive of Campbell as he does his best to give them their money's worth and generally succeeds at doing so. It's also amazing to witness Campbell pull it together on stage and surmount his sickness with commendable strength and tenacity. Director James Keach warrants praise for not sanitizing the harsh reality of Alzheimer's as we see Campbell blunder his way through a few songs and begin to act more increasingly erratic as the tour plugs on. By doing so, this film puts a very human and heart-wrenching face on Alzheimer's for both those afflicted with it and those who must take care of their loved ones as they slowly, yet surely fade away. Naturally, there are numerous striking moments, with Glen and his daughter Ashley engaging in a delightful on-stage duet on "Dueling Banjos" and Campbell's recording of his powerful last song "I'm Not Going to Miss You" rating as definite highlights. Slightly marred by rather unnecessary testimonials from various musicians on Campbell's undeniable greatness as a musician (it's almost as if the filmmakers didn't have complete faith in their subject matter), but overall a lovely and affecting tribute to a terrific entertainer who refused to go quietly into the night.
Standing tall not only as an incredibly moving and inspirational portrait of Campbell's admirable grace, humor, and above all courage in the face of a dreadful disease, but also as an equally touching and uplifting depiction of a wonderfully tight and compassionate family -- doting fourth wife Kim, sons Cal and Shannon, and simply extraordinary daughter Ashley, whose song "Remembering" is positively devastating in its sweet emotional candor about her father's unfortunate plight -- coming through for their husband and father like gangbusters in his time of greatest need. Moreover, it's a joy to see the audience being so loyal and supportive of Campbell as he does his best to give them their money's worth and generally succeeds at doing so. It's also amazing to witness Campbell pull it together on stage and surmount his sickness with commendable strength and tenacity. Director James Keach warrants praise for not sanitizing the harsh reality of Alzheimer's as we see Campbell blunder his way through a few songs and begin to act more increasingly erratic as the tour plugs on. By doing so, this film puts a very human and heart-wrenching face on Alzheimer's for both those afflicted with it and those who must take care of their loved ones as they slowly, yet surely fade away. Naturally, there are numerous striking moments, with Glen and his daughter Ashley engaging in a delightful on-stage duet on "Dueling Banjos" and Campbell's recording of his powerful last song "I'm Not Going to Miss You" rating as definite highlights. Slightly marred by rather unnecessary testimonials from various musicians on Campbell's undeniable greatness as a musician (it's almost as if the filmmakers didn't have complete faith in their subject matter), but overall a lovely and affecting tribute to a terrific entertainer who refused to go quietly into the night.