When you watch Michael J. Fox in the string of roles he had in the late '80s and early '90s, running around like a chipmunk on speed, it's hard to imagine that he was privately grappling with illness. "Still" provides insight into his attempts to hide his symptoms, and alongside video clips from "Spin City" and other '90s projects, it seems obvious now that something was going on. From his practice of fiddling with an item in his hand to disguise his tremors and continually shifting his weight to give the appearance of agility and steadiness, he comes across as much a close-up magic artist as an actor.
What's especially poignant about the film is how much the concept of stillness is an adversary for Michael J. Fox. As a healthy young actor, he appears as an object constantly in motion, full of coiled energy as he runs from film set to film set. Now in his 60s and being interviewed for the film, Fox repeatedly shows up with new bruises and broken bones — he knows he needs to be careful, that he can't rely on his balance as he would have in the past. But he's also seemingly incapable of slowing down. We watch his physical trainer visibly frustrated at how quickly he moves around the room, that he doesn't give himself valuable seconds that could help him self-correct if he becomes unsteady, saving him from a nasty fall. But he can't help it — that's just who he is.
