Still: Ainda Sou Michael J. Fox

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.

Cleverly edited clips from Michael J. Fox's career, juxtaposed against new interviews and insights create a feeling of nostalgia and inspiration. The editing, the pace, and the revelations from Michael brought the crowd to laughter and tears.

MJFox the man is greater than MJFox the amazing and talented actor I grew up with, as a kid watching Back to the Future and Teen Wolf. The most inspirational human and a phenomenal film. That's what I felt watching Davis Guggenheim's gem at Sundance. Major congratulations to Mr. Guggenheim, his editor, the entire team, and especially Michael J. Fox.

I can't wait to watch it again.

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.

From his hit series "Family Ties" through the iconic Back to the Future and beyond, the 80's diminutive Michael J. Fox has been an impish cultural giant. With the onset of Parkinson's disease, diagnosed in 1991 and revealed in 1998, he has been known as a fearless fighter, along with other famous sufferers such as Mohammed Ali and Kathryn Hepburn.

An informative new documentary Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, streaming on Apple TV+, is a blend of original footage showing his meteoric rise to fame and subtle re-enactment. In all, it shows his charm and his determination to expose the disease to needed research by campaigning for funding.

Director David Guggenheim and editor Michael Harte have seamlessly spliced publicity B-roll, videos, stock footage and a few narrators to create a convincing bio about Michael's rise and fall and permanent rise again to national recognition. This doc is as much a powerful testimony to the threat of Parkinson's as it is a testament to the will power of a former super star to fight it.

Because Fox is eminently watchable even under the sway of the disease, this doc is entertaining and informative. He asks for no pity but gains enormous respect for facing reality and fighting for happiness.