Some heroes don’t
wear capes; some wear puffy orange vests, accidently get hit on by a past
version of their mother, and drive time traveling DeLoreans. Some heroes simply
pretend to be these puffy orange vest-wearing, DeLorean-driving heroes for a
few movies (among with other iconic characters in other productions that are
equally as classic) before turning to more important matters like raising
billions of dollars for Parkinson’s disease research. Michael J. Fox may not
see himself as a hero, but to many his example of bravery and unrelenting
optimism in the face of adversity certainly qualifies him for the label. Still:
A Michael J. Fox Movie is Michael’s story as told by himself, a story
that is heartbreaking, heartwarming, funny, life-affirming, and entertaining
all at once.
Still triumphs not only because
of its inspiring subject matter, but also because of how it tells its story. As
its subtitle indicates, Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie is not a
documentary but a cohesive narrative that is cleverly told via footage of
Michael J. Fox’s movie and television performances, news footage, home video,
and the occasional talking head which is always given by Michael himself
speaking as if the audience were a close friend. I’m sure there must have been
a recreated scene or two in Still, but for the life of me I could
not tell which footage was authentic and which scenes were reenactments because
the two blended together so seamlessly. The parallels between the
aforementioned movie and television clips and Michael’s own life are sometimes
eerily apropos, and the editing work by Michael Harte (who also had the idea of
using said footage to begin with) could not be sharper. Director
Davis Guggenheim does a fantastic job at keeping hints of his presence to a
bare minimum, instead letting Michael’s humor, wit, and still undiluted
charisma drive the show. Because despite the excellent directing and
editing, Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie ultimately works as well
as it does because Michael J. Fox is Michael J. Fox.
Despite Michael’s infectious upbeat
attitude, Still is still sometimes hard to watch because of
how honest it is when discussing and portraying the difficult circumstances
that Michael has been saddled with, and I’m not just talking about the
Parkinson’s. Michael is not afraid to share his experiences with alcoholism,
his blessedly temporary ego highs, and depression, but if there’s one thing I
learned from watching this film it’s that Michael not only refuses be pitied,
but that he also refuses to let his difficulties bring his spirit down. So why
should we as an audience let his struggles get our own spirits down? His story
is an uplifting one because he refused to have it any other way, and Still:
A Michael J. Fox Movie is an uplifting film because of this
stubbornness. If you’re a fan, check it out. If you’re not, check it out
anyway. You’ll be glad that you did.
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie is
now available on Apple TV+.
This review was first published in the Keizertimes on July 7th,
2023. Visit at www.keizertimes.com/
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