Some films tell a simple story, and others a very complex one. Some are done with lots of feeling but very little style. Others, all style and no substance. Rarely do documentaries manage to succeed in multiple arenas at once while never losing sight of their purpose. Yet, in Ryan White’s new film, Come See Me in the Good Light, the story of poet Andrea Gibson’s struggle with cancer is such a work. Bursting with humor, heart and what can only be described as beauty and soul, this is a rare achievement in the form.
Focusing on the story of Andrea and their wife, fellow poet Megan Falley, the film is an intimate portrait of love, laughter and tears. It may sound maudlin but is most assuredly anything but. Instead, we get to see the couple face the horrible, inevitable news with a combination of humor and resolve, but also raw reality. The film does not show histrionic worry, instead allowing the couple to show their concerns in more meaningful ways. Often, it is a shot of one of them saying something, then a reaction on the others faces or it is a slight change in tone of voice when a topic is broached.
Throughout the film, Andrea’s poetry is recited, always by them, either in sequences made for the film or archival material. These interludes are never intrusive and often help the images quite a bit. The sound of their voice, the cadence or rhythm, is perfect for the words they speak, while the images White comes up with, illustrate the tenuous nature of life. Gibson and Megan’s life together seem, at times, too beautiful to end, yet end it must, because the chances of escaping the cancer are essentially nil.
Courtesy Apple +
The Colorado landscape of their home, their menagerie of dogs and circle of friends, create a warmth within what must have been a truly terrifying time for all involved. We get to know them through their words and their deeds. We get to see and know them as people, artists and activists. As a loving pair of human beings. The film allows them agency, dignity and affords them an immense amount of respect. In return, the pair open up with often heart wrenching honesty about what they face. Just as often, in those same moments, there is a joke that shows why they are so perfect for each other and just how much of a hole Andrea’s passing will leave in Megan’s life.
This is an often-lyrical work that is not biography but testament. While we get a lot of information about Andrea’s life and career, as well as that of Megan, it is not about the events but the reflections and reactions. This is a profile in courage and love, because sometimes the most courageous thing is to face the inevitable with wonder and fortitude. White gives his subjects space to demonstrate their humanity, without ever becoming victims of their circumstances.
Courtesy Apple TV +
There are times in the film where the weight of what will be missing is so heavy and obvious that one could be forgiven for thinking “that is corny” but then, one might also remember, this is precisely how these two felt at that moment in time. This was their life together, and this was their love. For this reviewer, it was never corny, but rather all too beautiful because of how tender their obvious devotion to the other was. There may be inspiration in the story, lessons to be learned, but none of them are negative ones. This is not a film that acts as a warning. Experience it for yourself. One of the year’s best documentary features.
GRADE B+
Come See Me in the Good Light is now streaming on APPLE TV +
This sounds fantastic