Hart Still Beating | |
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Hart Still Beating: Pro Wrestling Saved My Life - A Hart Family Documentary | |
Directed by | Frederick Kroetsch and Kurt Spenrath |
Written by | Kurt Spenrath |
Screenplay by | Kurt Spenrath |
Story by | Documentary [1] |
Based on | Hart family |
Produced by | Malcolm Oliver Frederick Kroetsch Kurt Spenrath |
Starring | Matthew Herweg [2] Smith Hart Teddy Hart Diana Smith-Hart Harry Smith II Ross Hart |
Narrated by | Matt Hart |
Cinematography | Frederick Kroetsch |
Edited by | Dean Davey |
Music by | Ian Armstrong |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | Telus |
Release dates |
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Running time | 14 min |
Country | Canada |
Language | Canadian English |
Hart Still Beating: Pro Wrestling Saved My Life - A Hart Family Documentary (often simply known as Hart Still Beating) is a 2016 Canadian short documentary directed by Kurt Spenrath and Frederick Kroetsch for Telus about professional wrestlers Matt and Smith Hart, father and son from the Hart family. The film concerns Matt's childhood from that of the death of his mother as well as Smith's terminal cancer diagnosis which leads to them growing closer to each other through professional wrestling after being near estranged for many years.
Director Kurt Spenrath had long been a fan of the Harts as a child since he grew up in Alberta where the family is near universally known. He began interacting with them after doing a project about Teddy Hart (Smith's nephew) that was put on hiatus due to legal reasons which were later settled. [4] Spenrath has explained that he spent a lot of time coming up with different "heart" related puns for the project but settled on "still beating" for fitting the theme that Matt Hart is continuing on with his life after the misfortune that befell on him. [5] The film was intended by the filmmakers to follow in the footsteps of Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows , the first documentary about Bret Hart (Smith's younger brother) which is one of the most acclaimed works about professional wrestling ever made. [6] Much of the film was shot at Ranchman's Cookhouse and Dancehall in Calgary, where Matt wrestled regularly. Matt's stepmother, wrestling promoter Stacey Olaszak asked to not be mentioned in the film [7] as she wished for it to focus only on Smith and Matt, despite this she did participate in the making of the film and received a special thanks in the credits. [8] Spenrath has stated that he loved working on the story and that he hoped that it would be successful enough to get him the opportunity to make more similar films about the Canadian wrestling scene, he also expressed gratitude to Olaszak for lending her crew to welcome and help during the making of the film. [9] Upon the films completion Spenrath promoted the film in various ways, including appearing on the Pro Wrestling Torch radio show. [10] The film was announced to the public with an accompanying content summary in early August 2016 [11] and the trailer was released shortly after. [12] Promotional material for the film noted its focus on Matt and Smiths relationship as well as Smith's cancer diagnosis. [11]
The film begins with Matthew declaring his love of professional wrestling. [13] It is followed by a montage of Matt wrestling in different matches while his father looks on, as Matt continues to explain his family's history in the industry, how it has shaped them and made them a unit. He concludes his monologue with stating that professional wrestling has saved his life. [14] Matt explains further in the next scene that wrestling is an outlet for him that keeps him in the right state and helps him after his traumatic background. He and his cousin Harry Smith spend the scene demonstrating wrestling moves to young children and training them how to perform, Matt likes his situation to some of the children who come from less prosperous conditions and says that he hopes he can help them use wrestling to channel their feelings as well. [15] Matt's aunt Diana narrates the next scene, continuing where Matt left of previously and expands on their family history, from her father Stu to her brothers Bret and Owen and to Matt generation. [16] There is more footage of Matt, this time being trained himself by his father as his Smith explains more elements of the industry. [17] As Matt and Smith continue to train there are spliced in interview segments of them discussing their relationship. [18] This is followed by an interview with Teddy Hart (Edward Annis), Matt's oldest cousin in the wrestling business who says he finds it heartening to see his uncle train his own son as the other third generation members of the family were taught by their uncles. [19] After some more conversations with various family members it is revealed that Smith has been diagnosed with cancer. [20] Smith's brother Ross and their nephew Harry both express their hopes that Smith can recover in time. [21] Matt also expresses this, going on to explain that his mother is already gone, so he does not know how to deal with both his parents potentially being dead soon. [22] The film shows a flashback with a young actor portraying a 13 year old Matt finding his mother dead on her bed. He speaks about how it was his 13th birthday and he and his mother had planned to spend the day together having fun but that when he arrived to the house she had passed out and been found by another person already dead. Diana explains that this led to Matt being placed in foster care as the authorities did not deem his father a stable enough security to the boy at that time. [23] Matt explains how he was separated from his family and his only way to keep contact with his past was watching wrestling videos on YouTube at a friends house, wishing that he would find his way back and reclaim his dream of stepping into the ring himself. [24] He talks about addiction and how he exchanged harmful addictions to constructive ones, such as training and performing wrestling. He says that it's those things that keeps one alive in his situation. [25] The film continues on showing more family interactions, most with Matts older half-sister Tania and their father. [26] The next scene shows Matt suiting up in his wrestling gear to have a match for his family's promotion while Teddy talks about how proud he thinks Smith must be to see his son continue on the family tradition. [27] Both Teddy and another family member Bronwyne Billington express how they wish they could have had their fathers (B. J. Annis and Dynamite Kid respectively) be there for their first matches, like Matt has. [28] The film ends with everyone expressing their happiness for professional wrestling helping to bring their family back together again. [29]
The film aired on August 31, 2016, [30] and was released on video on demand in September. [31] [32] The VOD debut was followed by an issued press release about the film. [33] Andre Corbeil of The Brand stated that even big Hart family fans would learn something from the documentary. [34] Former WWE producer and wrestling reporter Randy Helms expressed that the documentary was very good in his opinion and that it gave him a newfound understanding of what some of the Harts have gone through in their lives, inside and outside of the wrestling business. [35] Nick Hausman of WrestleZone said that it was good but very short. [36] He likened the story of Matt being taken away from his father to that of Harry Potter, where a young boy with special talents is bereaved of the opportunity to use them until he is reunited with the world he lost, but instead of a world with literal magic it's the fantastical heightened world of professional wrestling. [37] Isabel Rodriguez of SocialSuplex enjoyed the film feeling that its focus on the younger Hart over anything else was a good choice as it was the most engaging subject. Rodriguez did feel the film was short as well as lacking in some context in parts and she wondered if there was some material cut. She concluded that it was "a very enjoyable film that leaves the viewers with a greater understanding of the wrestler known as Matt Hart". [38]
Bret Sergeant Hart is a Canadian-American retired professional wrestler. A member of the Hart wrestling family and a second-generation wrestler, he has an amateur wrestling background, wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College. A major international draw within professional wrestling,he has been credited with changing the perception of mainstream North-American professional wrestling in the early 1990s by bringing technical in-ring performance to the fore. Hart is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time; Sky Sports noted that his legacy is that of "one of, if not the greatest, to have ever graced the squared circle". For the majority of his career, Hart used the nickname "Hitman".
Stewart Edward Hart was a Canadian amateur and professional wrestler, wrestling booker, promoter, coach, trainer, football player and sailor. He is best known for founding and handling Stampede Wrestling, a professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta, teaching many individuals at its associated wrestling school "The Dungeon" and establishing a professional wrestling dynasty consisting of his relatives and close trainees. As the patriarch of the Hart wrestling family, Hart is the ancestor of many wrestlers, most notably being the father of Bret and Owen Hart as well as the grandfather of Natalya Neidhart, Teddy Hart and David Hart Smith.
The Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, for two weeks in late September and early October.
Edward Ellsworth Annis is a Canadian-American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Teddy Hart. He currently wrestles on the independent circuit. He wrestled on a National scale for Major League Wrestling (MLW) as the leader of The Hart Foundation, where he held the MLW World Middleweight and MLW Tag Team championships. He has also wrestled for AAA, the short-lived Wrestling Society X, Jersey All Pro Wrestling, and Dragon Gate USA. He operates a wrestling school in Edmonton. He is the son of Georgia Hart of the Hart wrestling family and wrestler B. J. Annis. He is also the nephew of former professional wrestlers, Bret Hart and Owen Hart. Hart achieved an early degree of fame when he became the youngest wrestler to be signed to the World Wrestling Federation. His subsequent release, controversial actions while wrestling on the independent circuit and various legal problems have earned him a measure of infamy.
Harry Francis Smith is a Canadian professional wrestler, best known under the ring name Davey Boy Smith Jr. and his real name Harry Smith. He currently performs for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), where he was one half of the NWA World Tag Team Champions with Doug Williams; he previously held the titles twice with Lance Archer as part of the tag team Killer Elite Squad.
Smith Stewart Hart was an American-Canadian professional wrestler and a member of the Hart wrestling family. His parents were Stu and Helen Hart. Smith was the first of their twelve children, being one of their eight sons, Bruce, Keith, Wayne, Dean, Bret, Ross and Owen followed him. Hart is also the father of two professional wrestlers, Mike and Matt Hart. Hart wrestled for the majority of his career in Canada but also worked briefly in other countries and is best known for his time in Stampede Wrestling and for his appearances for WWE. He died in 2017 due to prostate cancer.
Dean Harry Anthony Hart was a Canadian–American amateur wrestler, professional wrestler, referee, wrestling as well as music promoter and member of the Hart family who wrestled in Canadian regional promotions during the 1970s and 1980s, most notably in the Calgary-based Stampede Wrestling. He was the son of Stu and Helen Hart and the younger brother of Smith, Bruce, Keith and Wayne, as well as older brother of Ellie, Georgia, Bret, Alison, Ross, Diana and Owen Hart. Dean was widely regarded as the most handsome of the Hart brothers. He died at the age of 36 in 1990, from a heart attack induced by kidney failure.
Diana Joyce Hart is a Canadian-American writer, model, valet and wrestling personality. She is the youngest daughter of Canadian wrestling promoter Stu Hart and was the second to last child born to Stu and his wife Helen. She is best known for her several appearances for Stampede Wrestling and WWE often with her brothers Bret and Owen Hart as well as her husband Davey Boy Smith, and for her book, Under the Mat.
Peter Minnema better known by his ring name Pete Wilson is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in Stampede Wrestling where he held several titles, including the Stampede International Tag Team Championship which he held three times.
Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows is a 1998 Canadian documentary film directed, produced and written by Paul Jay. It follows Bret "The Hitman" Hart during his last year in the WWF, from his World Wrestling Federation Championship victory at SummerSlam to his final match with the company and the infamous Montreal Screwjob at the pay-per-view Survivor Series on November 9, 1997.
The Hart wrestling family, sometimes known as the Hart dynasty, is a mainly Canadian family with a significant history within professional wrestling. The patriarch of the family was wrestling legend Stu Hart (1915–2003). An amateur and professional wrestling performer, promoter and trainer, Stu owned and operated his own wrestling promotion, Stampede Wrestling. He also trained some of the most well known stars in wrestling history including Superstar Billy Graham, Fritz Von Erich, Edge, Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit, Christian and his sons Bret Hart and Owen Hart.
The 1999 Over the Edge was the second annual and final Over the Edge professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation. It was held on May 23, 1999, at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. The first Over the Edge event was held under the In Your House series in May 1998, but following the discontinuation of the In Your House shows, a second Over the Edge event was scheduled as its own PPV, thus being the first former In Your House event to do so.
The Hart Foundation is the name of several derivative tag teams and stables composed primarily of members and close friends of the Hart wrestling family. The name originated in the World Wrestling Federation in 1985 with the original Hart Foundation consisting of brothers-in-law Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart. Initially managed by Jimmy Hart, they won the WWF Tag Team Championship twice. WWE has consistently ranked the original Hart Foundation as one of the greatest tag teams in wrestling history.
WWE Network is a subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and digital television network owned by the American entertainment company WWE. It primarily distributes original professional wrestling events, films, television and documentary series, and a 24-hour linear channel produced by the eponymous professional wrestling promotion, alongside acquired programming from other wrestling promotions.
Ross Lindsay Hart is a Canadian-American retired professional wrestler, promoter, trainer, booker, TV producer, coach and actor. Hart is a member of the Hart wrestling family and the second youngest son of Stu and Helen Hart. He is best known for his work in Stampede Wrestling and several appearances in WWE, often with his siblings Bruce, Keith, Bret, Diana and Owen Hart.
Hart Legacy Wrestling (HLW) is a Canadian professional wrestling promotion operated by some members of the Hart wrestling family, it was founded mainly by Teddy Hart and his associates. Smith Hart was also involved with the promotion prior to his death on July 2, 2017. His long-time partner Stacey Angel is the current owner of the promotion. Bret Hart has no involvement in HLW.
Bret Hart: Survival of the Hitman also known as just Survival of the Hitman is a 2010 television documentary film chronicling Canadian professional wrestler Bret Hart's life as he prepared for his in-ring return at WrestleMania XXVI after a ten-year absence from the ring after a career ending concussion. It also covers the rise of Hart's career and his split with World Wrestling Federation in 1997. It is a Fight Network original documentary and first aired March 22, 2010. The documentary was produced by John Pollock, Jorge Barbosa and Wai Ting. The documentary features interviews with Bret, members of Hart's family, former head of WWE Canada Carl De Marco, former sports agent Gord Kirke and producer of Wrestling with Shadows, Paul Jay. It also features archive footage of wrestlers, Dynamite Kid, Bad News Allen, Curt Hennig and Ric Flair.
Matthew Aryan Dean Herweg, better known by his ring name Matt Hart is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is a third generation wrestler member of the Hart family and the son of professional wrestler Smith Hart, oldest child of wrestler Stu Hart and promoter Helen Hart. Hart has wrestled extensively on the independent scene in Canada but also in the United Kingdom and the United States. He is the first member of his family to complete the Canadian Death Tour. Hart has regularly performed for the Hart Legacy Wrestling promotion with other members of his family. He was the subject of the 2016 documentary Hart Still Beating.
Kurt Spenrath is a Canadian award-winning filmmaker from Edmonton, Alberta. He is best known for his work on documentaries, as both a producer and director.
Frederick Kroetsch is a Canadian director, producer and cinematographer. He is known for Dangerous Breed: Crime. Cons. Cats. which premiered on Peacock in Nov 2022.