I was wasting time rummaging through Facebook recently and while scrolling through, I came across a post that posed a simple question;
”Who is that one celebrity who has remained humble and down to Earth despite being very successful?”
As expected, the thread was flooded with all of the usual (and appropriate) suspects; Keanu Reeves…Tom Hanks…Brendan Fraser…Adam Sandler, etc. One name I didn’t see in the comments, however, was Michael J. Fox and after bearing witness to an intimate new documentary called STILL: A MICHAEL J. FOX MOVIE from director Davis Guggenheim (AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH, IT MIGHT GET LOUD), I was quick to add his name in the thread. True, Fox fully admits that there was a time early on in his career when he found himself to be a bit on the insufferable side, but it can be tough to navigate that kind of monumental success when you’re young.
This candid film gets up close and personal with Fox. From his early days as a young actor to his breakthrough role as Alex P. Keaton on the hit television series “Family Ties,” to his beloved turn in the blockbuster BACK TO THE FUTURE trilogy, to his come-full-circle role on the hit show “Spin City,” Fox would become a household name in every sense of the term. And those aforementioned noteworthy titles would only scratch the surface where they would pertain to this entertainer’s success story. Of course, life has a tendency to throw us curveballs and for Fox, that unpredictable pitch would come in the form of a Parkinson’s diagnosis when the famed actor was only in his late 20s. He would conceal his illness until going public with it seven years later.
While STILL covers a great deal of Fox’s career, it doesn’t shy away from delving into the challenges he faces when battling an incurable disease. And as expected, Fox does so with humility, dignity, and grace. Beyond that, Fox is also very open about his struggles with alcoholism as well as his determination to keep his diagnosis secret before ultimately becoming an advocate in an inspirational fashion. Most importantly, though, through it all, STILL is every bit a film about the power of family as it is a movie about Fox himself. Had this famous performer not had a supportive wife and children by his side, things could have gone decidedly differently for him.
From a technical standpoint, STILL; A MICHAEL J. FOX MOVIE is to be commended for its skillful, clever, and altogether creative editing. The way editor Michael Harte cuts from well-executed recreations to clips from Fox’s films and tv shows (all set to Fox’s reflective voiceover), is simply masterful.
While STILL: A MICHAEL J. FOX MOVIE is unflinching and honest in its hard look at Parkinson’s, this is far from a pity party. Fox, while still in quite the battle, is the eternal optimist and as a documentary subject, he provides eye-opening insight and reflects on his life with absolute clarity. This is one of the best films of this year’s Sundance Film Festival and while the year is relatively early, I’ll be really surprised if STILL doesn’t emerge as one of 2023’s strongest movies.
“Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie” will be available on Apple TV sometime in 2023.
Watch for more 2023 Sundance Film Festival coverage soon!
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