Bill Coors was a titan of the brewing industry. What was less known, was the private battle he fought behind closed doors struggling with stress, anxiety and depression. A complicated family history of murder, suicides and his father's constant pressure to perform, plagued him.
Depression was an undiagnosed affliction in those years. His father took him to the Mayo Clinic to be treated, but when even they couldn't help him -or the thousands of other patients presenting with his same symptoms - Bill decided to find a cure for himself. This film is his legacy. He wanted to share what he learned with today's younger generation in order to help them. He understood students today are still suffering with the same mental health issues that he battled with, a century later. Bill sought a happy, healthy and productive life - he teaches how to live life now, on your own terms.
Review by Cecily Trowbridge - Zimbio
Another stand-out film was producer & director, Kerry David's Bill Coors: The Will To Live, a deeply touching and revealing documentary on the life of Coors Brewing Company heir, Bill Coors. Unbeknownst to me, Coors essentially invented mental health awareness in the workplace after he was plagued by depression for most of his life. Thanks to David, Coors' compelling story was packaged in a meaningful two-hour slate that's sure to influence the topic of mental health for years to come.
“Bill Coors: The Will to Live” by Clarke Reader
Until a few years ago, I didn’t know that Coors Beer was only sold in Colorado. If someone wanted to buy the beer, they had to make the road trip out to our state and buy it there.After watching Kerry David’s documentary, “Bill Coors: The Will to Live,” I discovered there was mountains of information I didn’t know about the Coors family and legacy.
In the U.S. premiere of Kerry David’s documentary, audiences get a personal and enlightening look at 101-year-old Coors. The film is structured around his famous 1981 speech to the American Academy of Achievement, where he gave some astounding advice to high school students concerning mental health and a focus on self-love instead of material gain. These were hard-learned lessons for Coors, as David delves into a past full of tragedy, depression and ultimately healing.
Many of Coors’ challenges were completely unknown to me, and his breakthroughs in the area of employee healthcare and recycling were also revelations.
Inter-spliced throughout the movie are interviews with young adults and teenagers who have had their own bouts of mental illness and suicidal thoughts, and how Coors’ efforts are giving voices to those struggling.
Not surprisingly, one of the most affecting stories come from Scott, Coors’ oldest son. He talks about coming out to his father on the road to Aspen for Thanksgiving, and the empathy and understanding Coors’ shows are a perfect summation of the man.
This is a film that will appeal to Coloradoans because of the familiar locations, but reaches a deeper level thanks to Coors’ wisdom, which comes shining through.
Depression was an undiagnosed affliction in those years. His father took him to the Mayo Clinic to be treated, but when even they couldn't help him -or the thousands of other patients presenting with his same symptoms - Bill decided to find a cure for himself. This film is his legacy. He wanted to share what he learned with today's younger generation in order to help them. He understood students today are still suffering with the same mental health issues that he battled with, a century later. Bill sought a happy, healthy and productive life - he teaches how to live life now, on your own terms.
Review by Cecily Trowbridge - Zimbio
Another stand-out film was producer & director, Kerry David's Bill Coors: The Will To Live, a deeply touching and revealing documentary on the life of Coors Brewing Company heir, Bill Coors. Unbeknownst to me, Coors essentially invented mental health awareness in the workplace after he was plagued by depression for most of his life. Thanks to David, Coors' compelling story was packaged in a meaningful two-hour slate that's sure to influence the topic of mental health for years to come.
“Bill Coors: The Will to Live” by Clarke Reader
Until a few years ago, I didn’t know that Coors Beer was only sold in Colorado. If someone wanted to buy the beer, they had to make the road trip out to our state and buy it there.After watching Kerry David’s documentary, “Bill Coors: The Will to Live,” I discovered there was mountains of information I didn’t know about the Coors family and legacy.
In the U.S. premiere of Kerry David’s documentary, audiences get a personal and enlightening look at 101-year-old Coors. The film is structured around his famous 1981 speech to the American Academy of Achievement, where he gave some astounding advice to high school students concerning mental health and a focus on self-love instead of material gain. These were hard-learned lessons for Coors, as David delves into a past full of tragedy, depression and ultimately healing.
Many of Coors’ challenges were completely unknown to me, and his breakthroughs in the area of employee healthcare and recycling were also revelations.
Inter-spliced throughout the movie are interviews with young adults and teenagers who have had their own bouts of mental illness and suicidal thoughts, and how Coors’ efforts are giving voices to those struggling.
Not surprisingly, one of the most affecting stories come from Scott, Coors’ oldest son. He talks about coming out to his father on the road to Aspen for Thanksgiving, and the empathy and understanding Coors’ shows are a perfect summation of the man.
This is a film that will appeal to Coloradoans because of the familiar locations, but reaches a deeper level thanks to Coors’ wisdom, which comes shining through.
