The Bridge (2006)

Awards
- 2 nominations total

Susan Ginwalla

Self - San Raphael, CA

Caroline Pressley

Self - Gene's Friend, South San Francisco, CA

Gene Sprague

Self - Born December 11, 1969

Elizabeth 'Lisa' Smith

Self - Born September 27, 1959

Rachel Marker

Self - Lisa's Mother, Healdsburg, CA

Tara Harrell

Self - Lisa's Sister, Healdsburg, CA

Lyle Smith

Self - Lisa's Brother, San Jose, CA

Dave Williams

Self - Gene's Friend, Covina, CA

Christina Koelling

Self - Lisa's Assisted Living Coordinator, Corte Madre, CA

Wally Manikow

Self - Philip's Parent, Midlothian, VA

Mary Manikow

Self - Philip's Parent, Midlothian, VA

Matt Rossi

Self - Gene's Friend, Concord, CA

Jen Rossi

Self - Gene's Friend, Concord, CA

Philip Manikow

Self - Born February 8, 1982

Steve Meronek

Self - San Francisco, CA

Keith Glenn

Self - San Francisco, CA

Director
- Eric Steel
Writer
- Tad Friend
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Why would anyone want to end one's life?

This movie is born out a project to film the Golden Gate bridge for an entire year and focus on the suicide (both attempted and successful) and the people's lives that changed forever.

Bridge footage mixed with various interviews make for a compelling case study on what brings people to this gorgeous man-made structure to end their lives and how people around react to such acts of humanity gone somewhat wrong.

Besides the visually superb views of the bridge, the documentary is well put together and includes interviews with family members and friends, as well as passerby's. A particularly moving part is when a tourist taking pictures on the bridge finally gets involves in rescuing a young lady about to jump. Another riveting story is that of bipolar kid who says goodbye to his dad one morning, goes to school for his first class then heads to the bridge to jump. He miraculously survived to tell us about it. Some will not be as fortunate...

A movie that is willing to ask the tough questions and to look at one of our society's enduring taboo.

christian94
Dec 15, 2007
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Trivia
The documentary caused significant controversy when Eric Steel revealed that he had tricked the Golden Gate Bridge committee into allowing him to film the bridge for months and had captured 23 suicides which took place during the filming phase of the project. In his permit application to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area Steel said he intended "to capture the powerful, spectacular intersection of monument and nature that takes place every day at the Golden Gate Bridge."

Quotes
[Last lines]
Caroline Pressley - Gene's Friend, South San Francisco, CA: I don't know why people kill themselves. And yet, it's a small step to empathize... to say... well, because I think we all experience moments of despair. That, ah, it would be so much easier not to do this anymore. But for most of us, the sun comes out, and then "Oh well, Tomorrow is another day". Why he chose the Bridge? I don't know. Maybe there was a certain amount of release from pain, by pain. Maybe he just wanted to fly one time.

Connections
Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Controversial Documentary Movies (2015)

Soundtracks
Neither Heaven Nor Space
Written by Matthew Caws, Daniel Lorca, and Ira Elliot (as Ira Elliott)
Performed by Nada Surf
Published by Songs as Pets (BMI)/Karmacode (ASCAP)
Courtesy of Barsuk Records
By arrangement with Bank Robber Music