I say that not because I grew up with Michael J. Fox and his megastar status of the 1980s, I say that because rather than tell the story of Fox and his diagnosis with talking heads and archival footage, Guggenheim, and his editor, Michael Harte take the audience on a fast-paced, action-packed, front to back, beginning-to-now story about Fox: His childhood. His rise to fame. His addiction. His diagnosis. His never-ending optimism. I won't give it away, but the creative direction and editing that this team decided on in how to tell the story makes you feel like you're watching his life in real time.
Fox and his self-deprecating humor and his unmatched comedic timing is the star of the film. But bring tissue because the tears are right behind the laughs. I absolutely loved this film and will continue to place Fox on the mantle of one of the all-time greats. Not because of his career, but how he has turned a painful gut-wrenching diagnosis into inspiration and philanthropy.
