Movie Review

Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie paints a complete picture of actor's complex life

Michael J. Fox in Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie

Photo courtesy of Apple TV+

Of all the big stars that rose to fame in the 1980s, few appealed as broadly as Michael J. Fox, who hit his peak in 1985 when he was simultaneously on the second-most popular TV show, Family Ties, and in the No. 1 movie of the year, Back to the Future (not to mention Teen Wolf, a schlocky werewolf comedy that rode the BTTF wave to a No. 23 finish).

However, as the new Apple TV+ documentary Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie demonstrates, Fox’s life has come to be defined more by a disease that is out of his control than by the career he crafted. Directed by Oscar and Emmy winner Davis Guggenheim, the film could have been a standard one where Fox and his celebrity friends talk about his career, extolling his winning personality and his positivity in the face of living with Parkinson’s disease the past 30 years.

Instead, Fox and Guggenheim let Fox do almost all the talking, whether through a direct-to-camera interview, candid moments with his family and others, narrating stories about his life, or scenes from his many projects. While all of these methods are illuminating in one way of another, Guggenheim’s clever usage of actors to re-create stories from Fox’s life, as well as scenes from different Fox projects to emphasize real-life moments, are the most effective in crafting a compelling narrative.

Those stories are consistently interesting, whether it’s about him pulling double duty with Family Ties and Back to the Future, where he only got 2-3 hours of sleep each night while filming both over the course of three months; or talking about his bad behavior in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s, when he let success go to his head. Fox also talks about how the idea of being still was foreign to him for many years, and Guggenheim illustrates this with countless scenes of the diminutive-but-athletic actor running, jumping, and flipping in a variety of roles.

Anyone who has not seen Fox in recent years may be shocked by the degree to which his Parkinson’s has progressed, as he’s shown to have difficulty walking and having to do special vocal exercises to speak clearly.

But lest you think Fox is asking for pity, he’s the first one to dispel that notion. Despite clear frustration with the more onerous parts of the disease, he’s always ready with a joke to deflect from uncomfortable situations, and readily acknowledges what a blessed life he has led.

Still paints a complete picture of Fox the man, someone who’s been to the height of fame and brought low by a disease that can be managed but not cured. Like all of us, he contains multitudes, and the film shows all sides of him, even if it’s his affability that shines through time and again.

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Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie debuts on Apple TV+ on May 12.

a beautiful mind

Houston Health Museum's new exhibit shines a light on dyslexia

Sarah Sudhoff created "The Reading Brain" in honor of her son.

Photo by Rose Tylinski

"The Reading Brain" replicates neuron activity in a dyslexic brian while reading

No, "The Reading Brain" isn't the title of a B-horror film from the 1960s. It's a brand new installation at the Houston Health Museum that explores dyslexia.

The piece was created by Houston-based artist Sarah Sudhoff, in partnership with Dr. Guinevere Eden, Director of the Center for the Study of Learning at Georgetown University. Hanging from the ceiling of the Health Museum, it uses light-up colored circles to represent the frontal lobe activity of a dyslexic person while reading. MRI scans of dyslexic brains formed the foundation of the light activity. Sudhoff's own son has dyslexia, and she had to adapt her homeschooling of him to account for his neurodivergence. As much as 20 percent of the American population is dyslexic.

"The Reading Brain" grew out of a similar exhibit at the DoSeum in San Antonio. "Beautiful Minds: Dyslexia and the Creative Advantage" challenged visitors to see dyslexia not as a learning disability but as simply a different way some human brains work. The exhibit featured videos, stories, and art work by dyslexic individuals that show how they succeed and create, as well as a selection of brain puzzles used to teach dyslexic people.

“Even though your brain works differently, it still lights up and is beautiful to watch, a wonderful machine you have. It just means you have to navigate and pivot a little differently,” Sudhoff said.

Sudhoff's innovative bridge between science and art is a permanent part of the Health Museum's MindWorks exhibit. Like "The Reading Brain," MindWorks maps out thinking processes through light and hands-on activities. The exhibit will close on January 5, meaning visitors have a very short time to see Sudhoff's piece.

The Health Museum is a hidden gem in Museum District located a block away from the Children's Museum. It houses a variety of exhibits about the human body, such as a giant plastic colon that kids love to run through. Since opening in 1969, the museum has helped Houstonians and visitors from around the world learn about the way the body works as well well as public health protocols. As the only Smithsonian Affiliate Museum in the Houston Museum District, it has a high educational pedigree despite it's colorful and often whimsical offerings.

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