Still

I am of an age where this actor was huge in my time. One of the very big stars. So to learn a little more about him was always a welcome thought.

Very soon into this documentary you get the idea that it is different. A new approach to story telling. A lovely format using old clips, drama and humour. It is gentle but so very effective in communicating the heart of the story.

I enjoyed this because I learnt from it. It filled those gaps in my memory where he went off my radar. I can now understand why. Whilst it did make me feel sad, it also filled my heart with hope. Knowing that humans have the ability to overcome most things thrown at them. The human spirit is strong, and this documentary proved it.

I most definitely recommend watching this. A well made, well balanced and thought provoking documentary. Job well done 👍

You probably know Michael J Fox is Canadian, made Back to the Future and has Parkinson's disease.

What you might not know is how resilient, brave, funny and charming he is.

What you probably don't know is he falls over a lot and walks like Billy Connolly doing the Glaswegian drunk man impersonation.

In this documentary that is brilliantly directed by Davis Guggenheim there are two stars.

Michael J Fox who narrates the movie, to camera, with his mangled voice often quite difficult to comprehend and Michael Harte, the editor.

It's a piece of magical illusion because somehow the directing/editing team have managed to piece together snippets of Fox's work to sit alongside Fox himself in 'telling the story'. It has echoes of my all time favourite documentary, 102 minutes that Changed America, in that it's essentially 'found footage that's used to tell the story. It's remarkable.

But at its core is the sad (not sad) sight of Michael J Fox, that lovable little scamp, at 61 looking like a wreck, but still, somehow defying the hideous encroachment of Parkinsons with dignity and humour.

It's very moving and it's very great.

Highly recommended. Michael J Fox is authentic and vulnerable in reflecting upon his successes as an actor, as well as his challenges with Parkinson's. He is fortunate to be surrounded by a loving, buoyant family who does not feel sorry for him. Like him, they retain their playful sense of humor, and it's clear that the Fox family has a good time being together. This film is edited effectively, and the director wisely made a choice in how the younger Michael would be portrayed in a handful of scenes. The stand-in they have for him is filmed from the back, which lends credibility. Luckily, for all involved, there is so much actual footage of Michael, mostly from his TV roles, that the editor had a lot of material to work from. The Director is the off-camera interviewer, who asks pertinent questions, while wisely avoiding the trap of sentimentality. It's curious that the film does not spend too much time addressing Fox's outstanding foundation for Parkinson's, but perhaps that will be revealed in a future film. If you're like me, and have known people who have Parkinson's, there are moments of this film which will touch you, while offering new insights.

Still was warmly and enthusiastically received at the SXSW Film Festival. An overflow crowd gave the film and its subject a standing ovation. Unlike your usual Hollywood Biopic, Still is an inspiring story of young, and perhaps somewhat superficial, movie star journey from celebrity to hero.

The creative presentation shows the present-day disabled Fox struggling with the consequences of Parkinson's Disease and uses that as a jumping off point for his telling the story of how we went from struggling actor to mega Hollywood star. Then it journeys through his diagnosis with Parkinson's which he initially hid from the public as well as his struggle with alcoholism. Eventually, it shows the evolution of his role as he emerges as inspiration to millions who struggle with Parkinson's and many other disorders. His extraordinary fundraising efforts are a celebration of the human spirit. His dignity and decency in the face of an incurable disease are truly inspiring.

The creative format of Guggenheim's film is fascinating, because he uses a mix of clips from Fox's TV and movies along with a series of recreations framed by modern day interviews to tell Fox's story. It is told with great humor and grace.

For anyone of a certain age, Michael J. Fox was a cultural icon. Back to the Future is one of the iconic cultural markers of the 1980s. And Still really is in and of itself, appropriately enough, a journey back in time. In a time where we seem to lack heroes, Michael J. Fox is one and this film provides a great tribute to him.

Michael J. Fox agreed to make a documentary about his life, career and of course, his battle with Parkinson Disease. As the physician who diagnoses him says, "it's a battle that you won't win." But I get the feeling he insisted this would and should be as unsentimental as possible; none of that "oh woe is me" crap that drives people to resent rich, successful celebrities struggling with that same real-life crap that we all have to. Michael's angelic wife, Tracy Pollan (who upon learning of his diagnosis, whispers "in sickness and in health" ... {sniffles} God Bless Her!) and equally devoted children are clearly his primary reasons for living. But after 10 years of (mostly) silent suffering, he discovered another reason: going public with his incurable condition has increased awareness of it greatly and been a literal, welcome and much-needed $2 billion boon to the funding of research into the disease. I'll admit I was surprised that the punk kid on Family Ties (older than he looked, it turned out) also turned out to be a genuinely good actor. But I was even more surprised and delighted to see him ultimately turn out to be an even better human being. I feel lucky to have lived during the extremely noteworthy life and times of the Canadian actor, wellness activist/philanthropist and man truly with a mission, Michael J. Fox. He is "da man"!!! I rate this a strong 9 of 10 stars.