I have to get this off my chest: This movie really pisses me off.
Since the mid-90’s I keep seeing it pop up online as being a TV movie that Michael J. Fox appeared in. From my research I believe this all started from one mention in a book of television movies - a book that had many incorrect facts about another TV movie that Michael J. Fox actually was in - High School U.S.A.
This book (I can’t even remember what book it was or who sent me the scan of the pages) stated that High School U.S.A. was intended as a pilot for a series. This is close but not right. After the movie aired, it was decided to make a second High School U.S.A. movie that would be a pilot for a series with an almost completely new cast. This never got finished and never became a series. I think there were some other mistakes in that same entry but I can’t remember what they were off the top of my head.
Trouble in High Timber Country did exist. It was a TV movie but other than that one book, I have never seen any documentation stating that MJF was in that movie. None of the teen magazines I read in the ’80’s mentioned it - and in the 80’s, 1980 was a lot closer and easier to remember than it is now. Those magazines weren’t always 100% correct (I have one article that says MJF’s eyes are brown) but they were usually pretty good about credits. Not - one - mention of this movie.
This movie isn’t mentioned in any vintage legitimate magazine articles or any modern magazine articles either. The proof just isn’t there.
But, this is the internet and it can be viral. So now, I see this listed as a credit for MJF everywhere, even the IMDB. It drives me nuts!
So, if I ever do meet Michael J. Fox the first thing I’ll say to him won’t be ‘It’s nice to meet you’ or ‘I’ve been an admirer for over 25 years.’ My first words to him will be. ‘Hi…were you in Trouble in High Timber Country, or what?’
******
Holy crud. Here I was, cursing this internet for spreading false information, when it helped me find the CORRECT information about this movie.
Michael Fox was in this movie - but Michael J. Fox wasn’t.
Here’s the cast list at Variety.com. Michael Fox was the actor that caused MJF to take up that J. in the first place. Here’s a list of Michael Fox’s credits.
The internet - it’s a love/hate relationship.
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