Bill Coors: The Will To Live is a 2018 documentary about the life and impact of a man who’s voice and wisdom changed the lives of many.
You know the brand of course, Coors being one of the most recognized in brewing across the globe. However, you might not know William Coors, a man who joined the family business in the 1930s and went on to not only be credited with pioneering the now industry-standard recyclable two-piece aluminum can, but would be with the company for more than sixty years. He retired in 2003 at 87 and now, over a hundred and two years old, still leads an active and influential life.
Filmmaker Kerry David‘s latest film, a near two-hour documentary on the man is not at all what you might expect, you probably thinking it being a behind-the-scenes look at the making of beer and Coors’ leadership in building the brand name to its worldwide success. While there are certainly moments that reflect on the long history of the company, what we actually get is a look at his struggle with stress and depression – something that ruined many in his family, some taking their own lives – and his lifelong philosophy to overcome it.
The film hinges on a speech Coors gave in 1981 to the graduating students of the American Academy of Achievement, the topic being ‘success.’ He was one of many acclaimed speakers, and to separate himself from the generic platitudes he felt would be heavily prevalent on the stage, he chose to speak from his heart, confessing to the young people in the audience of his deeply personal saga and how compassion and hope helped shape who he became in a time when he was terribly out of sorts.
David points his camera at Coors at a hundred and one years old, letting the man recount his rather inspiring story, all the while cutting back to audio of that speech, it’s message orbiting old archival clips and images of Coors’ early days. We also cut to a variety of statements and sentiments of several who know the man but also to many young people who tell of their own struggles with depression, feeling moved by Coors’ continuing words of wisdom.
The movie puts a lot of time into giving these young people a voice, each speaking directly to the camera (many YouTube vloggers), offering what life in the modern age feels like for them, these scattered segments feeling like light years separate them from the story of Bill Coors. Here’s a man who contributed to the Manhattan Project and met with Albert Einstein among his many accomplishments. Yet his words from the 1981 speech, which fill the gaps between these moments, draw all together, a universality to them that binds these generations. You can’t help but feel a little connected to it, too.
Bill Coors: The Will To Live is a modest film, despite its over-reaching themes, David working with a small budget and as result, perhaps missing the gloss of a more heavily-financed documentary. It has a kind of home-movie quality to it, not always as polished as one might expect, yet it’s hard not to come away feeling moved by Coors and his extraordinary life, the tragedies and triumphs that mark the long and highly affecting years he’s thrived, keeping this a journey well worth experiencing. Recommended for those looking to get inspired.