Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie won big at the eighth Critics Choice Documentary Awards held on November 12, 2023 at New York City’s Edison Ballroom. Organized by the Critics Choice Association the ceremony accoladed some of the most celebrated documentary filmmaking and non-fiction television of 2023. Furthermore, American comedian Wyatt Cenac hosted the ceremony which was livestreamed on Facebook Live, YouTube, and X.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the award for the Best Documentary Feature went to Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie. Its director, Davis Guggenheim, even won the award for Best Director. In addition, the project also bagged the Best Biographical Documentary award.
Released on May 12, 2023, on Apple TV+, the documentary film showcased the life and struggles of actor Michael J. Fox. The 62-year-old actor had an illustrious career. However, things became hard for him when he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991.
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie synopsis and other details
According to Apple TV+’s YouTube channel, the official synopsis of the documentary film reads:
“The film, which will incorporate documentary, archival and scripted elements, will recount Fox’s extraordinary story in his own words. The improbable tale of an undersized kid from a Canadian army base who rose to the heights of stardom in 1980s Hollywood. The account of Fox’s public life, full of nostalgic thrills and cinematic gloss, will unspool alongside his never-before-seen private journey. Including the years that followed his diagnosis, at 29, with Parkinson’s disease.”
It further reads, “Intimate and honest, and produced with unprecedented access to Fox and his family, the film will chronicle Fox’s personal and professional triumphs and travails and will explore what happens when an incurable optimist confronts an incurable disease. With a mix of adventure and romance, comedy and drama, watching the film will feel like … well, like a Michael J. Fox movie.”
Apart from directing the documentary, Davis Guggenheim has also co-produced it, along with Annetta Marion, Jonathan King, and Will Cohen. C. Kim Miles helmed its cinematography, while Michael Harte edited it. John Powell composed its music. Even though Apple TV+ released it on May 12, 2023, it premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2023.
The documentary film received five nominations at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards and five more at the 8th Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards.
2023 Critics Choice Documentary Awards Best Documentary Feature and Best Director nominations
A total of 10 projects were nominated for the Best Documentary Feature at the 2023 Critics Choice Documentary Awards.
They were the following:
- Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie (Apple TV+) – Won
- 20 Days in Mariupol (PBS)
- American Symphony (Netflix)
- Beyond Utopia (Roadside Attractions)
- The Deepest Breath (Netflix)
- The Eternal Memory (MTV Documentary Films)
- Judy Blume Forever (Amazon Studios)
- Kokomo City (Magnolia Pictures)
- The Mission (National Geographic)
- Stamped from the Beginning (Netflix)
A total of 6 projects were nominated for the Best Director award at the 2023 Critics Choice Documentary Awards.
They were the following:
- Davis Guggenheim for Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie – Won
- Maite Alberdi for The Eternal Memory
- Madeleine Gavin for Beyond Utopia
- Matthew Heineman for American Symphony
- Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss for The Mission
- Steve McQueen for Occupied City
