It’s Michael J. Fox’s 47th birthday and as a ‘celebration’ I took a page from AFI’s book and decided to list my top 10 favorite Michael J. Fox films. These aren’t necessarily his best movies, but they’re my personal favorites - the ones I can watch over and over again and not get tired of them.
WARNING: There will be spoilers ahead
1: Atlantis: The Lost Empire
This movie wasn’t much of a hit for Disney and that’s a real shame. The film was an enjoyable throwback to Disney’s earlier days when they made full-blown, high budget adventure movies such as Swiss Family Robinson. It was also one of Disney’s last cell animated films and it is a beautiful film to look at.
Designs by Mike Mignola give this film a very unique look and the mix of cell and CG animation (what little there is) is very well done.
The voice cast is well chosen and James Garner as Commander Rourke and Claudia Christian as Helga Sinclair nearly steal the movie with their subtle yet sinister portrayals.
Despite its plot problems (how can an ancient race that has never died out forget how to read their own language?) the movie is fun, nicely paced and suitable for the entire family.
My favorite quote: I got your four basic food groups: Beans, Bacon, Whiskey and Lard - Cookie (Jim Varney)
2: Back to the Future
I don’t know what I can say about this movie that hasn’t already been said, but I’ll give it a shot.
BTTF is one of those rare films that are as close to perfect as a movie can get: Solid plot, solid performances, good direction, good production design - the works. It’s destined to become one of the most popular movies of all time and has already been included in many ‘top’ lists.
I was thirteen when this movie was released and it literally changed my life - not sure if it was for the better at the time (I was a wee bit obsessive) but at least I never turned into one of those stalkers that threatened to kill myself or someone else when Fox later married. But from that point on there was at least one thing that could cheer me up no matter what, and my high school years weren’t the smoothest - but really, who’s is?
My favorite quote: Last night Darth Vader came down from planet Vulcan and told me that if I didn’t take Lorraine out, he’d melt my brain - George McFly (Crispin Glover)
3: Back to the Future Part III
I’m not a big fan of Back to the Future Part II. I don’t hate it but the only time I watch it is when I’m watching the BTTF trilogy all at once. The basic idea was okay, but I could never get over the going forward in time to save your kids from themselves. That makes no sense. Just make sure to warn them ahead of time. I guess Time Machines made Doc and Marty lazy.
But with Back to the Future III I thought the series returned to form. Going to the past was always the series’ strength and seeing Marty, the ultra-modern kid, in the old west was a lot of fun. It also gave Thomas F. Wilson a chance to play Griff (Biff’s ancestor) a bit differently than he had been playing his other bully roles.
My favorite quote: Clara was one in a million, one in a billion, one in a googoplex. - Doc Brown
4: Coldblooded
What, you’ve never heard of this one? Well, I’m not really surprised. I personally never saw any kind of marketing for this movie and I’m not even certain it was released to theaters. However, it is a very smart and well-performed dark romantic comedy about a young man (Jason Preistley) who goes into the hit man business for the money. Despite the fact that he remains a very nice guy, he proves to be an excellent hit man and highly valued by his employers.
However, he meets a young woman (Kimberly Williams) and falls in love. When she finds out what he does, she asks him to quit. He knows that to do so would mean his death but in the end all things work out.
Well…they don’t work out for everyone. This is one of MJF’s two screen deaths.
My favorite quote: I’m afraid I don’t have one. I have seen this only once and do not own my own copy. It is not available on DVD but can be purchased on used VHS - in pan & scan, I’m sure. 
5: Doc Hollywood
Doc Hollywood is the last of what I consider MJF’s first run of hits. After this he made a streak of mediocre comedies that just fall flat (Greedy, For Love or Money, Life With Mikey, etc.) and didn’t end until he made the excellent The Frighteners.
Doc Hollywood is a low-key, laid back romantic comedy that feels leisurely and allows the viewer to become familiar with the colorful inhabitants of Grady, South Carolina. This is a good thing because our ‘hero’ Doctor Benjamin Stone is a shallow, insulting ass. Fortunately, Grady rubs off on him and in the end he’s still not the picture of human perfection but he’s quite lovable in his own way.
The plot of this movie is not all that original but the sharp writing, good direction and excellent performances make it one of MJF’s best.
My favorite quote: When to call me: You’ve been stabbed, shot, poisoned, separated from an appendage, knocked or beaten unconscious, run over by a tractor mower, or generally about to bleed to death. Otherwise, leave me alone - Doctor Aurelius Hoag
6: The Frighteners
This movie is flat out my favorite Michael J. Fox film. It has it’s problems but MJF’s and Jeffrey Combs’ performances and Peter Jackson’s direction more than make up for any flaws.
After an accident that killed his wife, Frank Bannister can now see and converse with any ghosts that are hanging around. In fact, he employs a few of these ghosts so that he can send them to people and haunt them. So, who do these people call? That’s right, Frank Bannister - Ghost Exterminator.
His scam somewhat works for him (he doesn’t have all that much ambition) until he starts seeing a ghost that is exterminating people.
Throw in a suspicious, paranoid and very much insane FBI agent (Jeffrey Combs), a recently widowed love interest, a the seemingly innocent victim of parental abuse and you have a twisty, suspenseful and very entertaining supernatural mystery.
MJF’s performance is especially notable in this movie. He’s played jerks many times - it’s kind of his specialty - and he always gives them something to make the audience like and even identify with him. However, Bannister is particularly pathetic and the pathos the character exudes is palpable.
Jeffrey Combs, as FBI Special Agent Dammers is equally funny and disturbing and Trini Alvarado took a character that could have been one dimensional and boring and made her into someone the audience actually cares about.
My favorite quote: Sheriff, you are violating my territorial bubble! - FBI Special Agent Dammers (Jeffrey Combs)
7: Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey
I take a lot of good-natured ribbing for this movie. It’s about talking pets for cripe’s sake. But I am unashamed of my affection for it. It makes me laugh and cry every time I watch it and for me, that makes an great movie.
MJF voices the character of Chance, a recently adopted American Bulldog. He moves in with a large family and their two pets Shadow (Don Ameche) and Sassy (Sally Field). For a few months the pets have to stay with a friend, to be reunited with their family at year’s end.
Due to Shadow’s intuition about the meaning of his master’s words, the pets leave their temporary home in search of their master. Chance goes along reluctantly, not wanting to be left behind but he makes it clear that he doesn’t need humans or any family to be happy.
Of course, by the end of the movie he changes his mind and everyone is reunited. What happens in between is at times funny, sad, heartwarming and a great adventure. This is another one that’s great for the entire family as the kids will love the antics of the animals and the adults will appreciate the witty humor.
My favorite quote (oh, there are so, so many): Shadow was faithful. Shadow was loyal. Shadow was a chump. - Chance (Michael J. Fox)
8: The Secret of My Success
This is pretty much the quintessential 80’s movie. It’s all about climbing the corporate ladder and reaching the top in the business world by any and all means - but still staying a nice guy. I wouldn’t call this a romantic sex comedy - I’d call it outright fantasy.
MJF plays Brantley Foster, a business major from Kansas who moves to New York because, well, if you can make it there you can make it anywhere. He finds it difficult to find work and finally gets a job in the mail room of his Uncle’s company.
He seems stuck in this position until he happens across an empty office and takes over, creating a new identity and using the company’s disorganization to his benefit. During all this he falls in love with the only female executive in the company - who is his Uncle’s mistress -his ‘Aunt’ falls in lust with him and Brantley does his best to resist with mixed results.
In the end, Aunt Vera (played brilliantly by Margaret Whitton) comes to Brantley’s aid and helps him take over the company and buy out a rival company in the process. Everything ends well for our heroes - they’re in love, engaged and filthy rich.
But still, they’re all the same nice, generous and thoughtful people they were in the beginning….right.
My favorite quote: Aunt Vera, why are you singing a medley? - Brantley Foster (Michael J. Fox)
9: Teen Wolf
I think this is probably one of the highest grossing low-budget films in history. Timing was the all-important factor and because it came out shortly after Back to the Future, everyone was clamoring for more of Michael J. Fox. Because of this, the names Boof and Stiles are instilled in the memories of the majority of people who were teens in the 80’s.
No, it’s not the greatest of movies - the premise is silly and unrealistic - but it’s a hell of a lot of fun. MJF always gives a great performance no matter how bad the material is that he has to work with. This wasn’t he worst he ever had, but it certainly wasn’t the greatest.
Co-written by one of the worst (in my opinion) ‘famous’ comic book writers, Jeph Loeb III, this is probably the best thing he’s written that I’ve ever experienced seen or read. I pretty much give the credit to the other guy, Mathew Weisman.
After finding out he’s a werewolf with certain ‘magical’ abilities, mild-mannered and unpopular Scott Howard (MJF) becomes a strutting jerk. With the help of his friends Stiles (Jerry Levine) and Boof (Susan Ursitti) and his ever-patient father (James Hampton) he finally realizes that he ‘doesn’t need the wolf’ and neither does anyone else.
My favorite quote: Hey baby, ten-hut. Nice hair cut over there. Be all that you can be. How was Granada, man? Hey Louie, Louie. What’s goin’ on here? Is the President here today or something? - Stiles (Jerry Levine)
10: Your Studio and You
Again, many of you may be reading that title and saying, ‘Wha-huh?’
Your Studio and You was a short film that Trey Parker and Matt Stone (South Park) and Jeff Wright wrote for Universal Studios when it was bought by the Bartles and James company.
The short film is a mockumentary that does a lot of mocking. The number and caliber of stars in this short is impressive and their willingness to poke fun at themselves is admirable. For example, whenever Sylvester Stallone speaks, he exaggerates his famous slurred speaking pattern and he’s subtitled. Stephen Speilberg is shown giving the Universal back lot tour and appearing completely unimpressed by the Jaws shark.
Michael J. Fox appears as the ‘What does that mean?’ guy. Everytime the narrator of the film (Trey Parker) gives some advice for adjusting to the new ownership, Michael J. Fox (eating cookies and milk) always asks what that means. And that’s it - that’s his entire appearance. But it’s hilarious, as is most of the rest of the mockumentary.
It has shown up on YouTube and other various places. I recommend that you keep your eye out for it and watch it at least once. It’s worth it.
My favorite quote: What does that mean; never say no to a sailor? - Michael J. Fox
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So, there you have it. My personal Top 10 favorite Michael J. Fox films. For bringing us all this great entertainment, I wish him a very happy birthday and many, many more to come.
Click the image to enlarge.
