Hot Docs 2008

America defines itself in the superlative: the biggest, strongest, fastest country in the world. Is it any wonder that so many of its athletes take performance-enhancing drugs? Director Christopher Bell explores America's win-at-all-costs philosophy by examining the way his two brothers became members of the steroid subculture in an effort to realize their American dream. Ingeniously beginning the film by harkening back to the mentality of the 1980s-where the heroes were Rambo, Conan and Hulk Hogan-Bell recounts how these role models led him and his brothers into powerlifting and dreams of becoming all-star wrestlers. Those dreams were soon shattered by the realization that success in those fields required the use of performance-enhancing drugs. Bell uses his personal story as an entrée into an analysis of the bigger issues surrounding these drugs: ethics in sports, the physical and psychological health ramifications and the mentality that fuels it all.