Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie

Given how long Michael J. Fox has been publicly discussing his experience with Parkinson’s disease, it’s easy to forget that he struggled with it for years in private first, getting it under control after defeating his initial denial. Even as he’s continued to advocate for research funding and support for patients, it’s a story whose details aren’t widely known by the general public. And while he’s talked about his story in detail in writing at various points over his career, including just after his retirement from acting a few years ago, it feels natural for a such a huge movie star to put it to film. Which is part of the response to “Why make this now?”

The other he alludes to rather obliquely when asked that very question by the interviewer. He talks about his world getting smaller, in favor of his imagination, and not wanting that to get cut short. To the follow up about whether he won’t be able to relay it in the future, he responds “Well, if I'm here 20 years from now, I'll be - I'd either be cured or, like, a pickle.”

Fox’s condition has been worsening as he’s started to reach the age of the people it more commonly afflicts. He talks casually about falling and breaking bones, and we see some stills and video of trips to the hospital resulting from them. We see the difficulty he can have communicating and controlling his speech, even as he has large stretches of great clarity. It underlines how much his incredible life has only been possible due to many resources and endless hard work. And even then, none of it is a solution, it just gives him a head start in his daily battle.

This is the purpose of Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie. Not to explain all the details of the disease or to say woe is me or any of that. It’s to give us a window into his thoughts on it, his experience, to show us what it’s like on a regular basis. To be clear, we don’t see the rawest reality of it; he’s pretty well medicated, and has mentioned elsewhere that most of what people attribute to his Parkinson’s is actually dyskinesia. But even as such, his displays tremendous vulnerability in filming the moments where his balance gives out, or his speech fails him.

After a brief intro which reenacts the moment he first realized something was wrong, he walks us through his early life and faltering attempts to start his career. We hear about how close he came to leaving acting due to lack of money, how energized he was by the laughter he could elicit in front a live audience, and the whirlwind that was his sudden and meteoric rise as Alex P. Keaton. Of course, we hear (and see a reenactment of) his famous story of balancing Family Ties shoots during the day and Back to the Future overnight, with only a couple hours sleep, for three months. We also learn about how his met his wife Tracy, his alcoholism that developed post diagnosis, his initial attempts to hide his diagnosis from everyone outside of his family, and his eventual decision to announce it.

In between the reenactments and the usage of footage from his roles which align with his story, we cut back to him talking to camera, or doing a bunch of exercises designed to aid his control of his muscles, and practice techniques to adjust when that fails. We’re constantly reminded that no matter how unstoppable he seemed, how untouchable, Parkinson’s awaited him. And yet, the fact that he was diagnosed over 30 years ago, but just stopped acting a few years ago, demonstrates that he wasn’t destroyed by it, even if he was hindered.

That’s the contradiction that is so fascinating about this man. In one sense, to the public eye, he is defined by his Parkinson’s: it’s one of the few things about his personal life which is universally known. But in another, his life and personality and outlook and career have endured, despite being impacted by the disease. Fox is one of the most charming people you’re ever likely to encounter, and it radiates from the screen no matter what we’re seeing. His therapies, interactions with his family, talking direct to camera, or clips from his roles: in all situations, he is overflowing with charisma and earnestness and frankness in a way that will always be compelling.

The filmmaking itself plays out like a pretty standard talking heads documentary, with a very definite and obvious structure. His popularity reaches the stratosphere with the release of Back to the Future right around the 30 minute mark, he meets his wife around the midpoint, and his diagnosis and alcoholism come around the hour mark. The only thing that stands out at all is the somewhat impressionistic style it employs to show the present. From questions and answers which are more poetic, to jumping around in time a bit, it breaks up what is a fairly straight-forward story in a way to try to create the sense of a life instead of a recitation of it.

The result is an interesting if not particularly engrossing movie. Fox does an incredible amount to keep you listening, and it is interesting to see more of his life. But a compelling subject matter is only part of what makes a groundbreaking doc. If the Michael J. Fox story is something which interests you at all, you’re gonna love this. And as it happens, the premise was up my alley, so I was on board. But the movie doesn’t do much else to pull you in or sell you on why you should care, so it’ll likely leave some people behind. Which is fine: not every movie needs to be for everyone. But it does limit the heights this film could achieve.

Still, despite not watching many documentaries, I’m very glad I watched this one.