I appreciate the review, but, for whatever reason, this film immediately clicked for me. I never felt overburden by the backstory, and this is simply one film that always makes me feel great after having watched it like I could accomplish anything. I guess it truly did "touch me in spite of itself".
Anyway, this is one of my favorites, and, while I was disappointed that it wasn't released way back in Blu-ray Disc's beginnings, I think it will be worth the wait based on the video score and additional supplemental features added.