'Still' uses Fox's career to capture travails, triumphs

It's hard to convey to those who didn't experience the 1980s firsthand what a huge deal Michael J. Fox was, and how much he seemed to remain a down-to-earth guy.

I'd say (as a compliment to both men) that he was the Will Smith of his day, except Smith and Fox's heydays weren't that far removed - "Family Ties" ran from 1982-89, while "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" ran from 1990-96.

And of course, Smith was never diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

The title of the Michael J. Fox biopic on Apple TV+, "Still," is a darkly comic double-entendre, because it refers not only to the involuntary movements that are symptoms of Parkinson's disease, but also to the relentless compulsion for forward motion that has propelled Fox's life and acting career.

To hear him tell it, Fox has been running since he learned to walk. With "Still" leaning heavily on footage from Fox's film and TV appearances to tell the story of his real life, it's striking to observe how many of his characters have been defined by being always on their feet, always on the go and always running.

Among young celebrities during the 1980s, Fox was practically a unicorn for his lack of scandals, given that his brief, private battle with alcoholism actually came after he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, when his "Family Ties" and "Back to the Future" days were behind him.

So while it would be easy enough for a film like "Still" to gloss over Fox's image, given his heavy involvement in it, it's revealing to hear him recount the relatively minor moments of cockiness and flares of temper that he cites as evidence that his ego was wildly out of control back then.

Even when he expresses contrition for having been a "bad boy" in his own mind, Fox reveals himself to have remained a remarkably good guy.

Fox is almost a caricature of Canadian courtesy, to the point that it takes his documentarians nearly to the end of the film to coax Fox to acknowledge that, as part of his Parkinson's disease, "I'm in intense pain," which he accounts for not mentioning previously to them by saying, "It didn't come up. I'm not gonna lead with it."

Which is not to say "Still" depicts Fox as flawless, either, since growing up noticeably small for his age appears to have instilled in him a lifelong need to prove his value to others, as if he's still trying to catch up for the delayed growth spurts that left him behind his peers in adolescence.

Fox's mental acuity is demonstrably as sharp as ever, and his willpower remains formidable in the face of his ever-diminishing physical ability, but ironically, these strengths have also proven to be weaknesses for Fox, because "Still" shows us his doctors, his physical therapists, his wife and his adult children all gently but persistently telling him to slow down.

As someone who occasionally feels frustrated by my inability to capture my thoughts in writing as quickly as they occur to me during a brainstorming session, I can't help but empathize with Fox's stubborn drive to try and make his lagging body move as fast as his mind still does.

But the problem with Parkinson's disease, as Fox ruefully admits, is that simple gravity becomes even more of a non-negotiable reality, and the toll of his recurring impatience displays itself in the bruises and bandages on his face and limbs and body, as falls lead to broken bones, and almost result in one of his fingers being amputated.

At one point, Fox voices mild complaints over his family constantly pleading with him to be more careful, as if he's not aware of the pitfalls that his condition poses to his mobility, until his son tells him that they simply worry that he doesn't place as high a priority on avoiding such injuries as his loved ones do on his behalf.

The great thing about profiling an actor with a filmography as prolific as Fox's is that so many memorable movie and TV clips can be used to illustrate his emotional states and experiences when he was off camera, at various points of his life.

Even with the seriousness of the events that were being recounted, I still found myself fondly recalling scenes from not just Fox's bigger hits, but also often overlooked and underappreciated gems like "Bright Lights, Big City" and "Light of Day."

It's also heartening to see Fox interact with his wife, Tracy Pollan - a talented actor who could qualify for sainthood - and his grown kids, all of whom freely and affectionately chide him about the idiosyncrasies that having Parkinson's has brought in his behavior, including his extended stretches without answering text messages.

Fox himself describes his wife as unfailingly supportive, but also ill-inclined to wallow in sorrows or tolerate BS, which he credits with keeping him grounded during his highs and lows, when he easily could have lost sight of his own identity.

As much as Parkinson's has affected not only Fox's mobility and speech, but also his ability to express emotions - he refers to the disease's muting of his facial expressiveness as a "mask" - I came away from "Still" impressed by how his ability to convey what he was feeling, and to make me feel it too, is as powerful as ever.

Even beyond the considerable, commendable charity work he's done on behalf of Parkinson's disease research, I believe we haven't seen the last of Michael J. Fox onscreen, and just as I did in the 1980s, I can't wait to see what he might do next.