Just like the tagline on the poster says, My Bigfoot Life “is a documentary about hope, family, autism, and Bigfoot.” And it has to be said that despite any of the limitations placed upon writer and co-director Daniel Lee Barnett by his condition, you’d never know this young man was in any way limited. Of course, this results from an ever-enduring and unending wave of emotional guidance, comfort, and support from Daniel’s family. Indeed, it is his grandfather who introduced him to his love of the search and the secret world of the Sasquatch. Little could the old man have known what casually sitting Daniel down in front of the shows on the subject would lead to.
Bigfoot and everything connected with the cryptozoological animal quickly manifested into Daniel’s obsession. Soon, he had a podcast, then he made the connections and garnered support from high-profile members of the Bigfoot community, which would take Daniel even further out of his comfort zone and see him speaking before a convention of believers before taking to the forests of the Pacific Northwest of the United States in search of the wild man of the mountain.
Whether you buy any of the science or the secrets allegedly revealed by those of the cryptozoological persuasion is immaterial. The draw of My Bigfoot Life is watching the progression of confidence and passion in its subject. I caught myself verbally willing Daniel on as his road, as with most with autism, is far from smooth. The hundreds of steps he takes forward in a positive and successful direction are swiftly derailed by one giant step backward, especially when Daniel hits sensory overload and is forced to retreat until he can come to grips with the gravity of the situation in his own time.
Daniel Lee Barnett and his team gather in the forest to review evidence of Bigfoot sightings.
“Bigfoot and everything connected with the cryptozoological animal quickly manifested into Daniel’s obsession.”
Some truly despicable behavior from social media trolls blatantly threatening an autistic teenager with violence, on top of Daniel’s perpetual difficulty with air travel, seem to end the journey before it really begins. But the quest is energized with hope and inspiration as friends, family, colleagues, and champions band together around Daniel, urging him ever onward. As he finally finds him out in the dark in the heart of a mighty forest surrounded by the professionals he once idolized and now befriended, a giddy rush of adrenaline washes over the group as a potential first contact is achieved.
Again, whether you believe in the existence of Bigfoot doesn’t matter. What truly matters about My Bigfoot Life is that it is a showcase and a fountain of inspiration for others with autism, and even those without. To watch Daniel go after his dream fearlessly is captured so perfectly and comes together so genuinely that you’ll feel as though you’re a part of this unconventional family bonded by a common dream.
The most beautiful moment of My Bigfoot Life, however, is reserved for the moment a grandfather looks over at his grandson and marvels, stating how if his influence has contributed to his grandson’s joy, then his life has been well spent. This is a glorious sentiment at the heart of a superb film.
"…a fountain of inspiration..."
