American Weightlifting (2013) Reviews

• History and current situation of the sport of Weightlifting in USA

  marianwrght2013-12-03

  I loved this doco. My introduction to weightlifting came through my involvement in CrossFit (only 2 yrs ago) but I wish I had been exposed to it much earlier and appreciated the skill/strength/speed etc exhibited by these incredible athletes (I am unfortunately one of those "older athletes with injuries"!!!!) I found it fascinating that weightlifting is so under-exposed in the US and I really hope that people with no knowledge of the sport find this film as well as those already involved in it so the sport and the athletes get the recognition and support they need and deserve. I think this film should inspire those already in the sport to do more to get it out in the public arena, and for those for whom this film is an introduction to the sport, will make them eager to go pick up a bar bell!!! Great work Greg and your team!!!!

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• A Much-Needed Production

  jsanjuan072013-12-03

  When the description labels this production "ultra-independent," many still think of movie with at least some level of a budget. For Greg Everett, owner at Catalyst Athletics, independent is true to its definition. EVERY aspect of the film is handled by Greg and his wife Aimee, which I think underlines the topic of American weightlifting and how our weightlifters train to compete at high levels in hopes of competing at international stages without the same level of support that others in different countries enjoy. In a way, the successful completion of this movie -- in addition to the hurdles that come along with endeavoring on such an ambitious project and maintaining one of the nation's premier, approachable, and accessible weightlifting/strength facilities -- highlights the optimistic message that Greg promotes in the movie: American weightlifting is and will continue to huge strides as we pursue higher goals and greater achievements. Those that complain of movie quality or some other small nuance really aren't hearing the WORDS that are being said in this documentary. This is not a pretty film, so if you're looking for computer graphics and incredible picture, then look elsewhere. Greg Everett did a terrific thing by highlighting the struggles that weightlifters are willing to endure simply for the love of the sport and because they believe in themselves. When there's no promise of fame or glory, money and sex, one can truly see what it means to actually love a sport (or anything for that matter). Greg's movie does just that, and anyone who has ever loved a sport -- or anything -- will appreciate this movie.

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• Extraordinary for the sport

  anivair2013-12-02

  I will admit that I have seen very few movies about Weightlifting. That's because there ARE very few movies about weightlifting and even less that are worth watching. This accomplishes both, and on top of that it was information, interesting, and visually appealing. I left it with a much greater appreciation of the sport and those who participate. Is it long? A bit. And a lot of visuals can seen repetitive at first, but keep going because I think that's the point. When you get right down to it, Weightlifting is two lifts. Those visuals actually really help you start to get a feel for the details and nuance of the sport. It was actually very clever (though people who are not at all interested in weightlifting may not be inclined to pay as much attention). The stories told and brought out are really nice.

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• So much potential...

  jescoramone2014-01-08

  I would like to begin by saying that I have nothing but the utmost respect for Greg Everett. The man is an amazing coach and has contributed greatly to the development of the sport of weightlifting in America. That being said, this isn't a particularly entertaining or informative movie. The issue here is that Greg is as skilled a documentarian as Ken Burns is a weightlifting coach. My greatest critique is that the movie is just boring. Essentially it is two hours of voice overs set to images of athletes practicing the snatch and clean and jerk. The documentary fails to follow any sort of story or character development and does little to explain the historical or technical aspects of weightlifting to the uninformed viewer. That being said, I do think there is some tremendous potential in the footage if it were to be recut by an experienced editor, perhaps with some background info added in and maybe follow a coach developing an athlete or follow an athlete working towards a goal. Perhaps the biggest hurdle Greg faces as a documentarian is that he is too closely involved in the subject matter to give an objective view to the viewer. I do understand that this film was made on less than a shoestring budget and I was more than happy to purchase the film in support of both Greg and weightlifting but perhaps with such limited resources a more limited debut would have been wise. If this were edited down to 30 or 40 minutes with the available content you could have a really cool little film that would lead to investment and maybe a better film in the future. Good luck to both the Everetts and I wish you continued success in the future!

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• Movie shows a lot of lifting and a lot of whining

  svmidwest2015-01-02

  I appreciate lifting. I like to lift and I enjoy watching talented lifters lift. They show some of this. They spend a lot of time whining that other countries have more fans. They think the US government should support more lifters. They think audiences should attend their events. Make lifting interesting and people will find it. The current lifting is very boring for the majority of lifters to watch. Crossfit and UFC made sports that barely existed 10 years ago and made them relevant. Weightlifting needs to do this.They focus a lot on California lifters. It does wonder a little throughout the documentary. I was hoping for more but it is worth watching if yo like olympic lifting.

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