Bye Bye Barry

Sports documentaries usually tell two kinds of stories: tragedies or the overcoming of downfalls. Not necessarily because sports people are set to go down that path, but perhaps because uplifting stories lack dramatic tension. Enter Bye Bye Barry, the feel-good account of Barry Sanders' rise to fame as the Detroit Lions' running back and his surprising retirement at age 31 without having any injuries or scandals leading him to his controversial decision.

The point filmmakers Paul Monusky, Micaela Powers, and Angela Torma make is precisely that there was nothing really controversial about Sanders' decision to "just relax" and finally get to watch football without being a part of it. They could have perfectly turned his retirement into a mystery to be solved, but they avoid cheap thrills and choose to highlight his legacy. Since Sanders was never involved in scandals, the film mostly consists of interviews where his peers and admirers shower him with praise, footage of his remarkable skills on the field, and comments from Sanders that emanate grace and wisdom. Surprisingly, the film never feels monotonous or anticlimactic; instead, Sanders' thoughts on enjoying life and not devoting himself to accumulating money and basking in fame feel refreshing. For those who feel he retired too early, the film proves his short career left enough moments of wonder to populate four lifetimes while celebrating Sanders' decision to honor his life without falling into the trap that there was ever anything he had to prove.