Come See Me in the Good Light is the kind of documentary that lingers in your soul long after the credits roll. Directed by Ryan White, this tender portrait of love, mortality, and poetry illuminates the remarkable journey of Andrea Gibson, a celebrated spoken word poet and Colorado’s first poet laureate, as they face the complexities of life with an incurable cancer diagnosis. Co-starring Gibson’s partner, poet Megan Falley, the film is both devastatingly intimate and unexpectedly buoyant, balancing its weighty subject matter with humor, hope, and a fierce love for life. Come See Me in the Good Light held its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.
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The documentary opens with a striking duality: Andrea’s laughter and their haunting reflections on mortality. It quickly becomes clear that this isn’t just a story about dying—it’s about living, and doing so with extraordinary grace. The camera captures the couple’s life in Longmont, Colorado, where their home, full of dogs and love, feels like a refuge against the storm. A joke sign above their back door reading “Brokeback Mountain” signals the humor they cling to, even in the face of unrelenting challenges.
At the heart of the film is Andrea’s poetry, which speaks directly to the average person and threads the narrative like an emotional heartbeat. Featured works like “Life Anthem” and “Acceptance Speech After Setting the World Record in Goosebumps” offer profound meditations on love and legacy. For Andrea, poetry has always been a lifeline—one that pulled them out of the darkness of suicidal thoughts and self-harm long before cancer took over. Now, poetry becomes their way of holding on, while their cancer battle, punctuated by three-week blood test intervals, becomes a metaphorical snowplow that keeps knocking them down but never erases their resolve (a literal snowplow also keeps taking out Andrea’s mailbox).
The film masterfully juxtaposes Andrea’s humor with moments of vulnerability. One of the most poignant scenes shows Megan using an app filter to age their faces—a playful moment that reduces Andrea to tears, fearing she’ll never grow old. These deeply personal moments allow the audience to feel the raw weight of Andrea’s fears while showcasing Megan’s natural optimism, which keeps the couple grounded. Megan’s unwavering support—and her own journey of self-acceptance—is a testament to the power of unconditional love, even in the face of unimaginable grief.
Executive producers Tig Notaro, Brandi Carlile, and Sara Bareilles bring their own creative energy to the project, with Bareilles performing the end-credits song, “Salt Then Sour Then Sweet,” a hauntingly beautiful collaboration with Carlile and Gibson. This musical touch ties the film together, echoing its themes of transformation and resilience. And Tig Notaro has a cameo in the film as Andrea’s opening act during what may be the spoken-word poet’s final live performance.
Director Ryan White’s ability to balance joy and sorrow is a marvel. Whether capturing Andrea’s poetic musings, the absurdity of a mailbox repeatedly destroyed by snowplows, or the triumphant yet uncertain lead-up to what might be Andrea’s final live performance in Denver, the film reminds us that life is always a mix of salt, sour, and sweet. Ultimately, Come See Me in the Good Light is a celebration of what it means to live authentically and love deeply. It’s a call to embrace both the good light and the lightning strike, just as Andrea invites in their poem, and to find beauty in life’s fragility. Bring tissues—and an open heart.
I give Come See Me in the Good Light 5 out of 5 stars.