Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie
Composite Score: 84.27
Featuring: Michael J. Fox, Davis Guggenheim, Tracy Pollan, Sam Fox, Aquinnah Fox, Schuyler Fox, Esmé Fox, Susan Bressman, Ryan Orser, and Siobhan Murphy
Director: Davis Guggenheim
Writer: Michael J. Fox
Genres: Documentary, Biography
MPAA Rating: R for language
Box Office: N/A
Why should you Watch This Film?
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie is the documentary by Davis Guggenheim about Michael J. Fox, inspired by Fox’s own books about his life and career. The film centers on Fox in the present day retelling his rise to superstardom, his diagnosis with Parkinson’s, his struggles to maintain a healthy work-life balance, and his eventual success as a philanthropist once he finally came to terms with his diagnosis and a new “normal”. From the jump, the film paints itself as a vehicle to allow Fox to own his narrative, so the whole thing plays out as a series of anecdotes by Fox played over dramatic reenactments, archive footage of his career, and current footage of his daily life with doctors and his family. Michael J. Fox gives the fullness of his personality to the film, which has made it a near-instant success, missing out on and Oscar nomination despite winning slews of accolades at lower-profile documentary awards.
Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?
This is definitely one of those films that’s going to go farther with audiences that are more familiar with Michael J. Fox and his work. While Guggenheim and Fox take time in Still to lay the groundwork for Fox’s career and disease, the anticipation of the various “reveals” and plot progressions will certainly be higher for people who know fully what’s coming around the corner. For those unfamiliar with or only tangentially aware of Fox, certain parts of his story might not resonate because you have no frame of reference for his success and/or situation. At the same time, Fox tells his story with such animation and authenticity that you’ll still probably get quite a bit from it. It’s a film that is made to resonate with a wide range of audiences, and it certainly does that, even if the central demographic of young Gen Xers who loved and followed Fox on his rise will probably be the ones who most “get it”.
So wait, why should you Watch This Film?
The documentary’s titular focus is the reason to watch this film. Michael J. Fox’s story, his charisma, and his optimistic frankness carry the film to a place of emotional, intellectual, and spiritual resonance. From the film’s ironic title to his raw honesty in giving the camera a look into his everyday life, you can feel that Fox feels the need to not just tell his story but share his perspective with the audience. He wants those who watch his film to appreciate the moments of stillness, to celebrate the times of success, to weather the storms of life with those that they love, and to live in spite of everything because that is what he has found to do. He’s a man possessed of conviction, and it comes through in every moment of the film. Even when he’s having a “bad day”, he lets us into the picture because he refuses to let the obstacles beat him. It’s a simple, yet powerful, look at someone who has every right to be miserable and have given up but has instead overcome the depression and the ease of accepting defeat to carve out an impact despite and in spite of everything that has come against him.
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie is a triumph of a biographical documentary thanks first and foremost to Michael J. Fox himself who carries the film on the shoulders of his own persona to a place of greatness. While Fox’s fans are probably going to be the ones most impressed and impacted by the film, his story of overcoming has something in it for just about every audience who sits down to watch it. You can currently find the film streaming on Apple TV+ if you’d like to check it out anytime soon.