Coming to Apple TV+, as well as a limited run at the Lighthouse Cinema, is Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie. This autobiographical documentary follows Michael J. Fox as he discusses his life, his career and the disease that changed his life forever.
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie is directed by Davis Guggenheim. Guggenheim is known for his work on Training Day as well as He Named Me Malala. The film is also based on the books written by Fox.
The style of the film is told through a combination of archive footage and interviews with Fox himself. Guggenheim utilises Fox’s many films to form a narrative for Fox to narrate in the film. Learning about Fox and his humble beginnings and how Guggenheim and his team set the stage so well is interesting.
With regard to Fox, I was constantly reminded of his incredible charm. It’s been so long since I’ve seen him on screen that it was genuinely sweet to see him again telling his personal story. I immensely enjoyed it, when he reflected on meeting his wife Tracy Pollan on the set of Family Ties, the series that put Fox on the map. He discusses how from the word go she has been someone he can always rely on to tell him the truth.
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie – I was never still
The film goes through Fox’s career, showcasing what it was like and it’s fascinating to see what he was going through from his perspective. It’s also quite tragic to see the actual timeline of his diagnosis. When you learn that he was going through so much during the filming of so many projects, including the sensational Spin City, it breaks your heart.
The film is somewhat formulaic, going the route of being quite sappy sometimes but that’s just a nitpick from myself. The most engaging aspect for me though, was watching Fox with his day-to-day procedures. He’s constantly trying to better himself, to ensure that he has a better life. He’s not quite a fighter and he’s not letting this disease hold him down. He’s a realist and his take on this disease is inspiring.
He faces daily trials and he faces them with a wry charm that has enthralled audiences for decades. It’s why people root for him, it’s why I root for him.
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