Hart Still Beating

Hart family

Pro Wrestling Torch radio show.^[10] The film was announced to the public with an accompanying content summary in early August 2016^[11] and the trailer was released shortly after.^[12] Promotional material for the film noted its focus on Matt and Smiths relationship as well as Smith's cancer diagnosis.^[11]

Harry Smith spend the scene demonstrating wrestling moves to young children and training them how to perform, Matt likes his situation to some of the children who come from less prosperous conditions and says that he hopes he can help them use wrestling to channel their feelings as well.^[15] Matt's aunt Diana narrates the next scene, continuing where Matt left of previously and expands on their family history, from her father Stu to her brothers Bret and Owen and to Matt generation.^[16] There is more footage of Matt, this time being trained himself by his father as his Smith explains more elements of the industry.^[17] As Matt and Smith continue to train there are spliced in interview segments of them discussing their relationship.^[18] This is followed by an interview with Teddy Hart (Edward Annis), Matt's oldest cousin in the wrestling business who says he finds it heartening to see his uncle train his own son as the other third generation members of the family were taught by their uncles.^[19] After some more conversations with various family members it is revealed that Smith has been diagnosed with cancer.^[20] Smith's brother Ross and their nephew Harry both express their hopes that Smith can recover in time.^[21] Matt also expresses this, going on to explain that his mother is already gone, so he does not know how to deal with both his parents potentially being dead soon.^[22] The film shows a flashback with a young actor portraying a 13 year old Matt finding his mother dead on her bed. He speaks about how it was his 13th birthday and he and his mother had planned to spend the day together having fun but that when he arrived to the house she had passed out and been found by another person already dead. Diana explains that this led to Matt being placed in foster care as the authorities did not deem his father a stable enough security to the boy at that time.^[23] Matt explains how he was separated from his family and his only way to keep contact with his past was watching wrestling videos on YouTube at a friends house, wishing that he would find his way back and reclaim his dream of stepping into the ring himself.^[24] He talks about addiction and how he exchanged harmful addictions to constructive ones, such as training and performing wrestling. He says that it's those things that keeps one alive in his situation.^[25] The film continues on showing more family interactions, most with Matts older half-sister Tania and their father.^[26] The next scene shows Matt suiting up in his wrestling gear to have a match for his family's promotion while Teddy talks about how proud he thinks Smith must be to see his son continue on the family tradition.^[27] Both Teddy and another family member Bronwyne Billington express how they wish they could have had their fathers (B. J. Annis and Dynamite Kid respectively) be there for their first matches, like Matt has.^[28] The film ends with everyone expressing their happiness for professional wrestling helping to bring their family back together again.^[29]

SocialSuplex enjoyed the film feeling that its focus on the younger Hart over anything else was a good choice as it was the most engaging subject. Rodriguez did feel the film was short as well as lacking in some context in parts and she wondered if there was some material cut. She concluded that it was "a very enjoyable film that leaves the viewers with a greater understanding of the wrestler known as Matt Hart".^[38]