Born in Edmonton, Canada, Michael J. Fox was always shorter than his peers and was highly active, which led to poor grades for behavior at school. The teenager found his calling in the theater circle, was not afraid to take a chance and move to Hollywood and waited for the main role in the hit sitcom Family Ties. But, of course, the real fame came to the actor after Back to the Future. In 1990, when Michael was only 29, and his career was at its peak, the doctors diagnosed the artist with a terrible diagnosis – Parkinson’s disease. Publicly, the actor spoke about the disease only in 1998. The Davis Guggenheim documentary traces Fox’s path before and after his illness.
Frame from the documentary “Unchanging: Michael J. Fox”
Michael J. Fox, due to deteriorating health, was forced to actually end his career in 2000. The actor continued to voice popular cartoons, but devoted most of his time to his family and activism. For example, Fox spoke to US senators, talking about the everyday life of a person with Parkinson’s disease and urging congressmen to allocate funding for the study of a terrible disease. After leaving the screen, the star of “Back to the Future” for the average viewer stepped into the shadows. True, cute photos of Fox with Christopher Lloyd appeared on social networks every now and then, who met at gala events and special screenings related to the Robert Zemeckis trilogy. However, only now, after the release of the documentary Unchanging: Michael J. Fox, can one draw up a complete portrait of a talented artist whose stellar career did not last as long as millions of viewers would like.
The Guggenheim documentary was presented at two of the most prestigious American film festivals: the film premiered at Sundance, and then was shown at the Texas SXSW show. Guggenheim won an Oscar for his controversial “Inconvenient Truth” about global warming and Al Gore’s fight to save the environment. Also, the American documentary filmmaker filmed a series about the founder of Microsoft “Inside Bill’s Brain: Decoding Bill Gates” and musical films “Get Ready for Loud” and “U2: Down to Earth”.
In fact, today the genre of not only biopics, but also documentary portraits of stars is going through difficult times. Usually a well-known person, as well as his friends and colleagues, to pathetic music in a boring conversational format, broadcast about overcoming and victories. The biographical genre has come to a standstill, and the creators most often do not know what new things they can offer the audience, following proven and bored recipes. “Unchanged: Michael J. Fox” looks advantageous against the background of the same type of competitors. First of all, this is the merit of a witty and resilient protagonist, but one cannot fail to note the inventive editing.
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Frame from the documentary “Unchanging: Michael J. Fox”
The film consists of a weeks-long interview with Fox, as well as hand-picked stills from movies and TV shows featuring the actor. The Back to the Future star reminisces about one of the stages of his career, and the Fox character from Family Ties or other projects continues the thought. The artist’s life is intertwined with vivid roles in the cinema, a real person and on-screen characters enter into a dialogue and complement each other. The Canadian tells in detail how, at the peak of his career, he suffered from a crisis of self-identity. In the morning you are Alex Keaton from Family Ties, in the evening you are Marty McFly, and who you really are is unknown.
Guggenheim shows the routine of a person suffering from Parkinson’s disease. Fox is forced to take several pills a day to calm his trembling limbs and be able to speak on camera. Every day, the actor works out with a personal trainer and goes to a physiotherapist. But still everyday life suffering from Parkinson’s disease is unpredictable. Fox constantly falls and injures himself. During the filming of the film, the actor managed to dislocate his shoulder and break several jaw bones after colliding with furniture. But Fox not only does not allow viewers and loved ones to feel sorry for themselves, but also laughs at himself over and over again. The patient does not win the fight, but you can not let the disease excel. And do not think that the new reality was easy for Fox. Only the support of loved ones helped to defeat alcoholism in the early nineties. Strong drinks helped to forget and pretend that there was no illness.
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Frame from the documentary “Unchanging: Michael J. Fox”
“Unchanged: Michael J. Fox” is a tragic movie that masterfully balances between funny and scary. One of the red threads in the story is movement. In films, Fox’s heroes are always running somewhere, which is confirmed by cutting frames from films of different years, and outside the set, the Canadian was always in a hurry somewhere. Today, walking at an average speed is difficult. The disease irreversibly changed the rhythm of the artist’s life, forced him to rebuild and imposed new rules of the game.
The picture, on the one hand, shows Fox’s career path, and on the other hand, draws attention to an incurable disease from which no one is immune. Due to the combination of the two themes, the film does not sag even for a minute. It is possible that “Unchanged: Michael J. Fox” will compete for an Oscar. Guggenheim made one of the most touching and inspiring films of the year, not only documentaries. A side effect of watching it is an irresistible urge to return to the Zemeckis trilogy and see more of Fox’s work. It is impossible not to succumb to the charm of an actor who has struggled all his life. First with ridicule because of his small stature, and then with a terrible illness. But Fox proved that humor remains the best cure for all ills.
