Steroids in shades of gray
You’d expect a documentary about anabolic steroids circa 2008 to be heavy on the dark side of the substance — the horrific side effects when abused, how it’s infiltrating youth athletics, the way it’s ruined elite and professional sports competition, etc.
Don't be so quick to judge "Bigger, Stronger, Faster," a new movie debuting Friday in New York and Los Angeles (the film opens wide in June and July). Director Christopher Bell has colored the movie in a palette of grays, even presenting a credible argument that maybe steroids aren’t the devil-spawn drugs some believe them to be.
"I had two brothers on steroids during the making of the film," says Bell, a USC film school grad from Poughkeepsie, N.Y., who did a stint working at Gold’s Gym in Venice and directed the short film "Billy Jones." Bell, who does a Michael Moore/Morgan Spurlock turn and appears in the film, originally considered documenting gym culture, but his brothers were willing to talk about their own steroid use to present another side of the story. "Also," says Bell, "at the time Congress was saying it was a black and white issue, and going through my life as a power lifter and being around steroids, I knew there was a gray area, and I wanted to present it in a different way."
He has, interviewing athletes, fitness models, doctors and sports fans about their attitude toward steroids. The film presents a mixed bag of facts, emotions and misinformation that will likely have even hard-liners reconsidering their views. For example, Bell points out that different forms of steroids are legally and routinely used in healthcare, and that " 'roid rage" isn’t a well-documented medical phenomenon. And although steroids, supplements and human growth hormone have horribly tainted elite and professional sports (as financial stakes stretch higher and higher), Bell makes the case that Americans like their sports heroes big and strong, and expects them to be winners. So aren’t we complicit in this as well?"
"As an athlete," says Bell, "you invest so much time and energy into pursuing your dream, and then all of a sudden you come to a crossroads — do you throw away all that time and effort, or be the person who wins at all costs? I found people on both sides of the coin. ... We always say that cheaters never prosper, but the people who are doing (steroids) are the people who are winning. It’s hard to tell people not to do it when they’re victorious. But if we want them to stop, are we doing anything to stop it?
At the heart of the film is the toll steroid use takes on Bell’s own family. In the film, Bell’s older brother Mike (nicknamed "Mad Dog") wants a shot at World Wrestling Entertainment fame, while the younger, Mark (nicknamed "Smelly") coaches high school and competes in power lifting. Their use of the substance is a source of consternation among family members, but we see the parents cheering wildly at competitions. It’s a scenario that’s undoubtedly being played out in various forms in many families.
Bell, by the way, hasn’t budged on his stance on ’roids: "I always thought it was cheating and against the rules and that people shouldn’t do it," he says. "If people learned more about nutrition and training, they’d be way better off."
Jay Cutler and Christopher Bell in BIGGER, STRONGER, FASTEROn Screen
Pasadena, CA: Playhouse 7 Cinemas
Los Angeles, CA: The Landmark
Hollywood, CA: ArcLight Hollywood 15
Irvine, CA: University Town Center 6 Cinemas
New York, NY: Empire 25 Theaters
New York, NY: Sunshine Cinema
6/6/2008
Berkeley, CA: Shattuck Cinemas
Palo Alto, CA: Aquarius 2
Pleasant Hill, CA: CineArts 5 - Pleasant Hill
San Francisco, CA: Embarcadero Center Cinema
Washington, DC: E Street Cinema
Chicago, IL: Landmark's Century Centre Cinema
Evanston, IL: CineArts 6 - Evanston
Brookline, MA: Coolidge Corner Theatre
Cambridge, MA: Kendall Square Cinema
Minneapolis, MN: Lagoon Cinema
Philadelphia, PA: Ritz at the Bourse
Austin, TX: Arbor Cinemas at Great Hills
Dallas, TX: Magnolia Theatre - Dallas
Arlington, VA: Shirlington 7
6/13/2008
San Diego, CA: Hillcrest Cinemas
San Jose, CA: Santana Row 6
Santa Cruz, CA: Nickelodeon Theatres
Denver, CO: Mayan Theatre
Atlanta, GA: Midtown Art Cinemas 8
Kennesaw, GA: Barrett Commons 24 Theatres
Portland, ME: The Movies
Ann Arbor, MI: Michigan Theater
Royal Oak, MI: Main Art Theatre
Frontenac, MO: Plaza Frontenac Cinema
Cleveland Heights, OH: Cedar Lee Theatres
Madison, WI: Sundance Cinemas 608
6/20/2008
Monterey, CA: Osio Plaza 6
North Falmouth, MA: Nickelodeon Cinema 5
Kansas City, MO: Tivoli @ Manor Square
Chapel Hill, NC: Chelsea Cinema
Charlotte, NC: Manor Theatre
Santa Fe, NM: De Vargas Center
Bend, OR: Pilot Butte 6 Theatres
Portland, OR: Fox Tower 10
San Antonio, TX: Santikos Bijou @ Crossroads 6
Richmond, VA: Westhampton Cinema 2
Seattle, WA: Harvard Exit Theatre
6/27/2008
Dayton, OH: New Neon Movies
Eugene, OR: Bijou Art Cinema
Salt Lake City, UT: Broadway Centre Cinemas
