“The Boston Bulldogs” is a 90-minute documentary film interviewing 5 people from a running club for addiction recovery, interconnected by one woman’s story from finishing the Boston Marathon after her first full year of sobriety to her relapse 24 hours later, and now her recovery 10 years later.

Directed by Bryan Cote, Jack Cote

Review by Julie Sheppard:

For anyone “impacted by addiction”(which is many people in society at one point or another) this doc feature, The Boston Bulldogs, is a must see. It makes a convincing argument for promoting the activity of running together as a tool to help battle substance addiction. 

The interviewer, largely off camera for most of the film which allows the viewer to focus on the central figures, asks some illuminating, intimate questions to bring out such candid answers. The most striking query is asking how the feelings associated with being high and intoxicated are like the emotions one experiences when running. This is an insightful way to promote the concept of staying active and building community that fills people with healthy pride and pleasure that was once filled with dangerous, alluring feelings coming from drug and alcohol abuse. 

We do not need to see actual footage of these people when they were in the throes of their addictions, as the interviewer is able to get them to explain, in detail, their past journeys — from how the addictions began, to hitting rock bottom, and then to climbing back out of these dark phases to see the light. It is satisfying to witness the positive romantic, familial and platonic relationships that have resulted from joining this life-changing running club. 

It is also interesting to see childhood footage of the various people involved to suggest that painful memories may have influenced the development of addictive personalities leading to substance abuse. In contrast, it is uplifting to witness a collection of inspiring stills and videos of successful running competitions. 

The mellow piano soundtrack under most of the heartfelt interviews is suitably chosen for this type of moving doc. The swooning orchestral piece near the end of the film, as inspiring accomplishments of those involved in this running club are listed on the screen, helps pack an emotional punch. 

This film proves that the impact of addiction can indeed be mitigated The Boston Bulldogs way!