Still

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.

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.

This is not a velvety self celebratory biography, but an honest insight in to the actual man, pain bruises and all, behind the face we thought we knew so well. Giving the sense that life happens to everyone, also celebrities, you understand how absolutely critical family, especially his wife has been in reflecting back on him, so that he could make the choices to become the man he is today. Parkinson's is a brutal disease, as I've also experienced first hand with an acquaintance, but Michael J Fox story, well told through clips from throughout his career, gives hope that you can break through living in accordance with your own perceived expectations of how the world needs to see you, and actually just be your true self, no matter what life brings, and no matter how differently you may be perceived compared to your old ideals. The less polished, authentic Michael J Fox, is an inspiration, and this documentary lets you meet him closer than ever.

It's easy to look at Michael J. Fox's career through the prism of pity: once on top of Tinseltown during his Family Ties-Back to the Future-Teen Wolf run, a young diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease curtailed his acting career and made each day now an uphill battle. But of course, MJF has to live that existence--and to him it is simply an everyday occurrence to keep surviving for and with his family. Others may feel sorry for him--but he certainly does not take that attitude for himself and it shows in "Still".

For a very basic overview, "Still" director Davis Guggenheim does two things simultaneously:

First, he looks back on the incredible shooting star ascent that was Fox's career--from a no-name kid in Canada to an absolute takeover of the both the big and small screens in the 1980s. It wouldn't be unreasonable to call him the actor most synonymous with 80s pop culture.

Interspersed with the bio material is how Fox currently battles his Parkinson's symptoms, such as the tremors that make walking difficult and cause him extreme pain without carefully mediated medication. Whether working with a speech therapist or a physical therapist, Fox must constantly learn and re-learn the bodily skills he once took for granted.

Ironically, speaking to this doc's title, a man who was once a blur of perpetual motion would now do anything to gain some physical calm. Yet, he projects a remarkably positive, upbeat attitude about his current condition. In fact, one of his biggest obstacles is trying to walk too quickly and falling over! In other words, he still retains the youthful spirit that catapulted him to film/TV stardom.

I think the hallmark of "Still", however, are the clips of MJF interacting with his family. Most who will be interested in "Still" already know the backstory, but seeing him laugh and joke with wife Tracy Pollan and their children is a window into his life that will make you smile and bring a tear to your eye.

Overall, I really enjoyed "Still" and my only slight critique is that the ending was a bit abrupt--I actually wanted more modern-day MJF material! But as it stands, this is a really inspirational doc that shows the courageous, optimistic spirit of Michael J. Fox in the face of seemingly overwhelming adversity.