Still From ‘Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie’ | photo credit: Apple TV+
Following his breakthrough role as Alex P. Keaton in the 1982 sitcom Michael J. Fox was the epitome of Hollywood fame family relations. Robert Zemeckis’ time travel franchise back to the futureand rod daniels teen wolf made him an untouchable; His impeccable comedic timing and fresh looks made him the darling of late night television and an audience favorite.
Just when he was feeling like he was on top of this world, or at least the Hollywood Hills, he would be forced to face a diagnosis of a degenerative neurological condition called Parkinson’s disease A brain disorder that causes unintended and uncontrollable movements such as tremors, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination.
In the latest Apple TV+ documentary directed by Academy Award-winner Davis Guggenheim, the ever-optimistic actor looks back at his rise in Hollywood and how he’s come to terms with living with a chronic illness.
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie (English)
Director: Davis Guggenheim
mould: Michael J. Fox, Tracy Pollan, Danny Irizarry, Hannah Galway,
runtime: 94 minutes
Story: A young kid from a Canadian army base becomes the international pop culture star of the 1980s, only to have a surprising diagnosis change the course of his life. A hopelessly optimistic actor is forced to face a terminal illness.
The actor’s charm and comedic timing that have propelled his career are on full display as he sits down to narrate the story of his life. taking their 2020 book No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Reflects on Mortality As a template, Guggenheim initiates a conversation with the actor, who holds no reservations when he delves into his career choices, personal life, and activism.
At the beginning of the documentary, we see the actor lose his balance and fall on the pavement after a cordial conversation with a fan. While he’s quick to dismiss it with a corny joke and continues in his stride, one can’t help but feel helpless and heartbroken. Michael, almost anticipating this reaction, drives home that this documentary is not an exercise in evoking pity and the audience may agree because it feels like the actor’s philosophical inquiry into the meaning of life.
Still From ‘Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie’ | photo credit: Apple TV+
Michael begins his narration by talking about his decision to leave school and move from Canada to the United States to pursue his dream of acting. He recalls the days he spent in a cramped apartment and how he managed to secure his big break on the sets. family relations. There is still a tinge of excitement in his voice when he talks about his time off between sets of sitcoms and Robert Zemeckis. back to the future, Before Parkinson’s, he didn’t know what “still” meant, he quips in conversation with Guggenheim.
The actor kept his diagnosis a secret until 1998, but judging by clips from his films such as life with mickey (1993), one cannot miss the actor using props to hide the tremor in his left hand.
Michael is friendly as he talks about his relationship with his wife, Tracy Pollan, and his gratitude for his family overflows the screen as moments from their living room air.
what sets Still: A Michael J. fox movie Head and shoulders above its contemporaries is its editing style. While it features re-enactments, archival material and a typical set of talking head shots, it is Michael’s use of scenes from his films that are reminiscent of his real-life emotions and reactions superimposed on his voiceover that give the impression that Michael carried himself through his acting. All characters.
Still: A Michael J. Fox movies currently streaming on Apple TV+