Named for the then-anonymous gymnast whose complaint led to the first public disclosure of decades of abuse by Dr Larry Nassar, ‘Athlete A’, a new documentary on Netflix, is a sharp, unflinching attack on the toxic culture of USA Gymnastics. The film is disturbing on a number of levels; one, obviously the program’s horrific abuse of its participants, most of them minors, but two, a lot of which has been concealed until very recently, the manner in which the power players within the organization protected the brand, not the girls.
As tough a watch as ‘Athlete A’ is, it’s a must see….and it’s most definitely, an eye opener.
Bonnie Cohen and Jon Shenk (‘An Inconvenient Sequel’) don’t shy away from the graphic details of their subject; this is dark and unsettling, starting with the grisly accounts of the actions of coaches Bela and Marta Karolyi, who, behind their legendary status of Olympic perfection, bullied their athletes mercilessly at a no-access-for-parents Texas training camp. Nassar, the outwardly friendly doctor, would paint himself as a nice guy, laughing and joking and smuggling in sweets for the girls, only to brazenly molest many of them; over 250 women would eventually come forward. USA Gymnastics CEO Steve Penny, when approached of complaints, would promise parents that he would make sure it was handled, then immediately bury the information. Long story short, the individuals that families were trusting to take care of their girls were aware of what was happening and did nothing about it. And proceeded to abuse.
Through Cohen and Shenk’s lens and just how they unfold the story, we’re able to see historic footage, once thought as nothing but positive, a lot differently. Case in point, Kerri Strug’s memorable vault at the 1996 Olympics, securing gold for the team. Despite a severe injury, Strug was extraordinary, landing on one leg, and making for an instant highlight moment of American dedication and tenacity. But watching it again, knowing the context behind what had unfolded to get there, we no longer see a proud hero standing on the podium in triumph; we see a young girl in agonizing pain whose coach, Karolyi, never took into consideration just how hurt she was, instead calling out for her to proceed in a grunt that now seems more intimidating than encouraging. It’s indeed scary stuff.
That said, there IS a cathartic feel to the home stretch of ‘Athlete A’, that a group of devastated women could find this much courage to come together and do what is right – and hopefully blaze a better, much less heartbreaking trail for future athletes.