Michael J. Fox is still going and he thinks a lot of that has to do with his fans. During a Q&A following the SXSW screening of Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, the actor and activist showed his appreciation for those that have been so devoted to him.
“My fans have basically given me my life,” said Fox. “I wanted to give these people who have done so much for me my time and gratitude. It was great for me to hear from all of you.” While the fans have been endlessly supportive, one can’t discount Fox’s determination. On this, he added, “This is it. I have to give everything I have, and it’s not lip service. I show up and do the best I can…Pity is a benign form of abuse. I can feel sorry for myself, but I don’t have time for that. There is stuff to be learned from this, so let’s do that and move on.”
Michael J. Fox has indeed kept moving. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease back in 1991. Since then, he didn’t really slow down on the big or small screen, proving a fairly consistent presence since. However, Fox has been forced to slow down, although, even after announcing his retirement in 2020, he has said, “How can you miss me if I won’t go away?…I’m not going anywhere.” Fox received some of his highest accolades after the diagnosis, but the greatest work he’s done has nothing to do with entertainment. Through his foundation, he has helped fund $1.5 billion in research programs.
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie’s official plot: “Intimate and honest, and produced with unprecedented access to Fox and his family, the film will chronicle Fox’s personal and professional triumphs and travails, and will explore what happens when an incurable optimist confronts an incurable disease.” It is directed by Davis Guggenheim, who also helmed the Best Documentary Feature Oscar winner An Inconvenient Truth (2006) and Waiting for “Superman” (2010). Its subject also directly thanked Guggenheim during the Q&A, saying, “Parkinson’s sucks, but it’s a great life, so thank you for [the film].”
Still: A Michael J. Fox movie premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, where our own Chris Bumbray gave it a 9/10.
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