The true story of the wonderful death and big, big life of Catherine Coulson.
An Oscar®-winning director and a Pulitzer-winning playwright who created new works for her, celebrated actors, producers, and cinematographers who worked with her on stage, screen, and behind the camera, along with her closest family and friends, came together around her deathbed to help her play her part one last time.
David Lynch wrote Catherine’s final scenes just hours before directing her in the role he created for her. The Log Lady was conceived in 1973 on Eraserhead, born in 1990 in Twin Peaks, and was dying 25 years later in Twin Peaks: The Return—as Catherine knew she had only days left to live. In their own words, her best friends weave the riveting, suspenseful story of who Catherine was, and how and why “the show must go on.”
From her childhood in Disneyland through revolutionary 1960s theater, from becoming a pioneer behind the camera, a mother, and an international cult icon, to the roles of a lifetime and a lifetime of broken hearts, emerges a surprising story of love, loss, legacy, and art. It is a hard look at redemption, an inspiring take on determination—a fast-paced, fun ride through a wild life. A moving tale of being present, making the most of every moment—living well and dying well.
Catherine Coulson’s death epitomized her extraordinary life—friendship of the deepest kind, passion for art and artists, motherhood, spirituality, and a commitment to the joy and pain of being here now—right up until her last breath.