Davis Guggenheim is about to explore the life and times of Michael J. Fox in a new biopic, STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie. The documentary presents a deeply personal journey through the actor’s career and battle with Parkinson’s disease. The potentially tear-jerking presentation comes to Apple TV+ on May 12, 2023, and members of the JoBlo community are excited to check it out. If today’s STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie trailer doesn’t make you choke up, you should check your pulse.
Here is the official description for STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie from Apple TV+:
The film, which incorporates documentary, archival and scripted elements, recounts Fox’s extraordinary story in his own words — the improbable tale of an undersized kid from a Canadian army base who rose to the heights of stardom in 1980s Hollywood. The account of Fox’s public life, full of nostalgic thrills and cinematic gloss, unspools alongside his never-before-seen private journey, including the years that followed his diagnosis, at twenty-nine, with Parkinson’s disease. Intimate and honest, and produced with unprecedented access to Fox and his family, the film chronicles Fox’s personal and professional triumphs and travails. It explores what happens when an incurable optimist confronts an incurable disease. With a mix of adventure and romance, comedy and drama, watching the film feels like… well, like a Michael J. Fox movie.
Guggenheim directs, with Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan starring. Guggenheim, Annetta Marion, Jonathan King, and Will Cohen produce. Nelle Fortenberry, Jonathan Silberberg, Nicole Stott, and Laurene Powell Jobs executive produce.
According to JoBlo’s Chris Bumbray, who saw Still at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, the documentary is riveting, with Fox uncommonly open about his battle with the disease. He allows Guggenheim and his crew to see him at his worst when his meds have worn off, which is quite powerful as Fox is typically on enough medication when he makes public appearances to manage his symptoms pretty well. His goal with the documentary is to show people the truth about his illness, but here’s the thing – it sounds depressing, but it’s not. Michael J. Fox hasn’t an ounce of self-pity in him, and the movie celebrates his life and career, with Fox still, as he titled his autobiography, a “Lucky Man.”
The movie takes us through his daily routines as he fights the onslaught of symptoms daily, but we also see his life story, told through clever re-editing of clips from his movies and TV shows. Fox is pretty open about a severe bout with alcoholism he had around the Doc Hollywood years, which is when his symptoms started to manifest themselves, and how his feature career ground to a halt in the mid-nineties before he launched a big comeback with Spin City. He also tells many stories about making the Back to the Future trilogy and Family Ties (simultaneously). He explores what it was like being one of the biggest stars of the eighties, all with a healthy dose of modesty and good humor.
You can read Chris’ full review of the film here.
What do you think about the STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie trailer? Feel free to let us know in the comments section.
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