At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal

HBO Documentary Review: “At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal". Users rated it a 100%. Run Time of 1 hr and 22 mins with an IMDb of 8.2/10.

In 2016, USA Gymnastics was rocked by the revelation that national team doctor Larry Nassar had been abusing young athletes for decades. Tribeca alum Erin Lee Carr's unflinching documentary unpacks the scandal, its cover-up, and aftermath, while giving voice to the survivors.

For more than two decades Dr. Larry Nassar was the osteopathic physician for the U.S. women’s Olympic gymnastics team, as well as a physician at Michigan State University (MSU). During that time, he sexually abused hundreds of female athletes.

Based on years of research by producers Dr. Steven Ungerleider and David Ulich (Munich ‘72 and Beyond) and featuring brave testimonials from the athletes at the center of the story, director Erin Lee Carr’s (Mommy Dead and Dearest and the upcoming I Love You, Now Die) powerful documentary, At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal, reveals a dangerous system that prioritized winning over everything else, including protecting young female athletes. Through interviews with dozens of survivors, as well as coaches, lawyers and journalists, the film exposes an environment in which young women spent their youth competing for victory on a world stage, juxtaposed against a culture where abuse was hidden, and lives were forever damaged.

First off this is an HBO Special Documentary and its not playing anywhere else yet that I’m aware of. Secondly if you have access to HBO here are the second set of upcoming airings so you won’t miss it: Sat, 6/1, 2:40 PM, HBO Signature (East); Sat, 6/1, 5:40 PM, HBO Signature (West); Tue, 6/4, 6:40 PM, HBO Signature (East); Tue, 6/4, 9:40 PM, HBO Signature (West); Thu, 6/6, 3:45 AM, HBO (East).

There's impact in numbers and that's apparent here even when it shouldn't be. It was nauseating listening to the things Nassar did to these young women-but I found it incredibly moving how the voice of one gave voice to many. I do hope that the changes that have been set in motion actually pan out and real change can be made. As a documentary, this was well put together and the emotional beats are placed appropriately for the subject matter. If there's one thing I got from this that I hope others do as well, is that we need to do better when it comes to listening and offering support to people who place their trust in us and come forward.

We’ve all heard on the news about Larry Nassar and when he did to those children, however I’m here to tell you that you REALLY NEED to watch this documentary. You won’t believe what you hear during this show. It’s non-stop information that will raise you BP from anger to think how this predator got away with what he did. I was appalled!!