Michael J. Fox made his debut in the early 1980s with the popular sitcom Family Ties and has since enjoyed a long and prosperous career. He has acted in several films and television shows, and he has also published four autobiographies. At the age of 29, Fox received a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, and since then, he has worked tirelessly to advance the field of research. In fact, two years after disclosing his illness to the public, he established The Michael J. Fox Foundation to support Parkinson’s research. He is a gifted actor as well as a devoted husband and father of four children. He has been married to Tracy Pollan for about 35 years.
The Back to the Future trilogy, in which he portrays a high school student who finds himself time travelling alongside a disgraced scientist, is undoubtedly Fox’s most well-known work. Fox went on to feature in a number of other films in the 1980s and 1990s after demonstrating to the film industry that he could take the lead in a movie on his own, before returning to television roles in the 2000s and 2010s. His prosperous career is proof that he is not only a gifted actor and screenwriter, but also a motivated person who hasn’t let the setbacks life has dealt him stop him from reaching his objectives. Below are the top nine films starring Michael J. Fox, in order:
Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
Milo A friend of James Thatch’s recruits him to lead a group of explorers over the Atlantic Ocean in pursuit of the fabled underwater city of Atlantis. James Thatch is the grandson of renowned researcher Thaddeus Thatch. One of the best Disney films of the 2000s and one of Disney’s best overall is Atlantis: The Lost Empire. Milo’s hesitant and awkward traits are made even more realistic by MJF’s voice acting, who gives the character a voice that is practically timid for a man trying to be taken seriously. The characters are all intriguing in their own unique ways, the animation is stunning, and the tale is captivating.
Back to the Future (1985)
Back to the Future, the film that propelled Michael J. Fox to stardom, follows Marty McFly on his first time-traveling journey aboard Doc Brown’s DeLorean. He unintentionally travels back in time to 1955, when his parents were still teenagers. He must ensure that his parents meet and fall in love at the Enchantment Under the Sea dance in order to ensure that he doesn’t alter the past by being in it. He and his siblings will vanish if that happens.
Hollywood first became aware that MJF was a competent actor and capable of serving as a movie director thanks to this film. Prior to this, he was best recognised for his portrayal as Alex P. Keaton in the television comedy Family Ties. Marty McFly’s initial option was MJF, but because of scheduling issues brought on by his dedication to the programme, he was unable to accept. Before Robert Zemeckis and Eric Stoltz realised he wasn’t the appropriate choice for the part, he had already been cast as Marty and had already begun filming the movie. Thankfully, MJF had freed up enough time by that point in his schedule to formally accept the part. It’s similar to visualising Tony Stark being portrayed by someone other than Robert Downey Jr. or Hugh Jackman not playing the Wolverine to imagine the BTTF trilogy without MJF in the lead role. It doesn’t seem right at all. In BTTF, MJF was utterly endearing and charismatic. He gives the part a unique sense of humour and humour that has helped Marty McFly become one of the most beloved movie characters.
Back to the Future Part II (1989)
Back to the Future II picks up where its predecessor left off by having Marty, Doc, and Jennifer (Elisabeth Shue) go ahead in time as opposed to backward to the year 2015 in this sequel. When things go wrong, Marty has to go back to 1955 to fix 1985 without affecting anything he changed during his first journey to the past. They have to prevent Marty’s future son from getting into a fight that would send him to jail.
Although it might not have the same allure and awe as the first film, it definitely delivered on the laughs and the thrill. This time around, MJF portrays Marty’s future daughter, son, and future self in addition to Marty, which results in some wonderfully bizarre moments while they are in 2015. When he travels back to 1955, he must also watch his own back since he cannot allow that Marty to see this Marty without running the risk of upsetting his and his family’s future. It’s pleasantly corny.
Back to the Future Part III (1990)
Marty McFly travels back in time to 1885 for the third and concluding installment of the cherished Back to the Future trilogy, where he must save Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd). The two must find a way out of the Wild West before Doc is killed by Buford “Mad Dog” Tannen after running out of gasoline for the DeLorean. Back to the Future Part III’s old west setting, which depicts our time-traveling hero living out most kids’ cowboy fantasies, is a pleasant change of scenery from the first two films. In his final performance as Marty McFly, MJF is as endearing as ever, giving fans a satisfactory resolution to one of the most cherished trilogies of all time.
Bright Lights, Big CIty (1988)
Jamie Conway, a dejected writer, turns to cocaine and the New York City nightlife for comfort as he struggles to deal with his mother’s passing and his wife’s separation. Every time Jamie goes out with his hard-partying friend Tad (Kiefer Sutherland), it gets harder for him to do his job as a fact-checker for a literary magazine.
Although being a gorgeous movie with a compelling score, Bright Lights, Big City largely relies on Fox’s impressive performance. He shows a somebody who is unmistakably battling addiction while simultaneously denying that he has a problem. His life steadily spirals out of control as his inability to function normally as a result of his nightly binges on alcohol that only serve to reinforce his poor habits.
Casualties of War (1989)
Private Max Erikkson and Sergeant Tony Meserve (Sean Penn) argue during the Vietnam War after Meserve gives the order to kidnap a young Vietnamese woman to be used as a sex slave. Erikkson declines to participate in the torture of the woman, making him an outcast within his own team. Erikkson is committed to seeing that justice is done when the woman is killed.
For MJF, this is a very different position. He had usually appeared in comedies or family films up until this time. Here, he had the opportunity to demonstrate his acting skills and prove that, in addition to humour and adventure, he could also handle more sombre dramatic roles. It is difficult to see Casualties of War because you feel both sympathy for his character and anger at him for not doing more to stop the soldiers from hurting the defenceless woman.
Doc Hollywood (1991)
A hotshot rookie seeking fame and success travels to Los Angeles in search of a new position. He is involved in a car accident while driving, which leaves him stranded in a tiny rural village in the middle of nowhere. While waiting for his car to be fixed, he is made to perform community service by the local authorities, and as a result, he begins to form bonds with the residents of this tiny roadside settlement.
You wouldn’t be mistaken if, while reading that description, you were picturing the Disney and Pixar film Cars. Doc Hollywood and Cars basically have the same plot, the main distinction being that one is about people and the other is about talking cars. Because Ben Stone is a little different from the other roles he has done, we get to witness him at first being more self-serving and unlikeable. Ben must come to terms with the fact that he is not the centre of the universe and that just because some individuals are not materialistic, it does not make them less valuable than others. More people ought to see this underappreciated dramedy.
Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993)
When their family leaves on vacation, a young bulldog puppy named Chance (Michael J. Fox), a Himalayan cat named Sassy (Sally Field), and a sage golden retriever named Shadow (Done Ameche) are left behind. The three of them set out on a protracted trip through the Sierra Nevada to find their family, uncertain of what has transpired. The humans are also looking for their cherished pets in the meantime.
As the animated movie’s vivacious dog Chance, MJF contributes to the voice cast and transfers the same enthusiasm he uses in his live-action performances to the character’s tender heart. Homeward Bound: The Amazing Journey is a wonderful story about the devotion that both people and their pets have for one another. Every pet parent who reads this is nearly certain to cry.
The Secret of My Success (1987)
The Secret of My Success, possibly not one of his most well-liked films, centres on a bright young man from Kansas named Brantley Foster. He meets his distant uncle, who also happens to own a multimillion dollar company, after rapidly realising that breaking big in New York is not an easy undertaking. He accepts a position in the mail room but, when learning how poorly the business is run, decides to set up a position under a false name in order to have a say in how the enterprise conducts its affairs.
Despite being 26 years old at the time of this film’s debut, MJF had until this point primarily played teenagers. He now gets to play a young adult in the workforce rather than a high school student, which is a welcome change of pace for him. Although the film itself is not particularly noteworthy, Fox’s enthusiastic portrayal of a young man who is eager to advance in his career is enjoyable enough.
