The Terry Fox Story

Things start promisingly. Terry Fox is presented as a driven if surly adolescent in a similarly combative family. The contentious relationship between Terry and his parents is handled head on and smartly; we watch with interest as Terry's teen angst, rebellion and boundary challenges brush up against his parents' attempt to rein in his self-pity and grandiose schemes. Unfortunately, this strong conflict and interesting family dynamic is largely jettisoned once Terry hits the road. His parents do reappear later, but only briefly and with no payoff.

Another big disappointment is the waste of Robert Duvall, who is mostly at sea in his curiously small role as the marketing man who arrives in the third act to properly expose (and motivate) Terry's efforts to a growing throng of fans. Coming so close as it does to Duvall's Oscar winning performance in Tender Mercies, this choice is particularly head--scratching for the uber-talented Duvall, who would seem likely to have had more control over his roles (maybe it was filmed before?)

The movie ends awkwardly as Terry Fox is forced to drop out of his cross-country run for health reasons. The denouement is a clunky mix of fare-thee-well voice-over and a wistful Terry Fox slowly jogging around a track shortly before his death. This is what we've been building towards? It's hard to say; the movie condenses so much (including the clipped arrival of brother Chris Makepeace, who barely gets a line in the whole movie, though he's in many scenes) and is edited so poorly at the end, we're not sure whether whole sections were left on the cutting room floor.

It's probably not PC to criticize the candid biopic of a controversial but inspirational amputee who raised millions for Cancer research whilst running across Canada, but the sad truth is that this movie is mostly unpleasant and entirely uninspiring. Worse, THE TERRY FOX STORY is not even particularly moving where it wants to be. There is a sense that the story is building to something, but even that conceit is shot down by the jarringly abrupt and strangely abbreviated anti-climactic finale.

Whatever the story problems, the central problem is Terry. He is incredibly persevering, yes. But he's also a moody SOB who abuses various undeserving targets, including his parents, brother, sister, run helpers and girlfriend (a pre TNG Rosalind Chao who is young and cute).The movie is so careful to document his "complex" combative nature that it's never really possible to sympathize with him. Fox's constant whining and pettiness may be accurate, but it makes his Canadian trek an uninspiring drag. Also, he never grows from the experience, making us wonder where he's been the whole time. Viewers are better off with a big bag of chips, a comfy LAZY BOY and some old Wide World of Sports reruns than this earnestly conveyed but largely wrong-headed muddle. 4.5/10.

They say the Dragon never sleeps. He stalks his prey in silence cold, and when he strikes, what evil fire in his venom.

One day the snake in careless greed, dared seize a Knight 'Born of the Sun.' The bite burned deep - right to the soul.

The snake held fast - damage done. But death could not win. For though the fire had pierced him through, Knight of the Sun held strong and true.

The fever broke, the serpent fled, one limb his prize.

The knight rose up, these words he spoke: 'You have broken my body but not my spirit. I will not mourn, nor will I fear it.

Beware tread beast, you have not won this battle, My quest has just begun.

From the Terry Fox Story written by Rika Noda.

Yes, here might be a movie where you have to break out the Kleenex and start sobbing. No, this real life drama/true story bypasses all of that, avoiding the sentimentality's, what have you. Real life cripple Eric fryer, playing Terry with honesty and realism, not overacting primarily makes this film. He's a very angry and bitter man, Participating in a walk for charity, with one leg, the other just a mechanical foot attached to a spring, which makes the journey harder, but inspirational, we follow the pitfalls, where at times, Fox gets really stormed up, at times, almost wanting to pack it in. Rosalund Chao, as his girlfriends adds some romantic moments, where Duvall, is great as the abused driver, transporting Fox, while Makepeace is likable as Fox's younger brother. Avoiding all that sop sop, a thing I really like about the film, it has a realist nature about it, and Fox's journey is one vastly travelled where he suffers a few hiccups, collapsing at one stage, while bleeding from his fake leg, where the end is an ultimate predictability. His anger and effrontery does get to you at times. This is a very entertaining drama, one I liked very much, where a similar film, of the same year, Running Brave, is one to check out too.

It's 1977. Athletic university kid Terry Fox (Eric Fryer) is diagnosed with cancer in his knee and his leg is amputated. With the help of new girlfriend Rika Noda (Rosalind Chao), brother Darrell Fox (Chris Makepeace) and best friend Doug Alward (Michael Zelniker), he starts running in races and decides to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. After breaking up with Rika and with little support, Terry and Doug start from Halifax as he runs home to Vancouver. He's later joined by Darrell and Bill Vigars (Robert Duvall) from the cancer society in Toronto.

The first part is functional TV affair. It's nothing spectacular but it works. The movie really gets going once he's on the road. Terry and Doug's relationship is compelling. It shows Terry to be not simply a saint but an actual human being. The receptions he gets are the real tearjerker. The movie then adds the great Robert Duvall to the mix. Obviously, Fryer got the job because of his amputation and his likeness to Terry. He is still a competent actor who is able to hit certain notes. Zelniker is amazing as Doug. This is a solid TV production of an inspiring figure.

I first fell in love with this story a few years ago after seeing the 2005 film. Just this week I found out about this version and was able to view it on You Tube. Like others have said the tone is unnecessarily negative and it's portrayal of Terry is unnecessarily negative. Terry probably very much did have his cranky moments - we all do - and especially considering just how much physical as well as emotional pain that he must have been in he probably did. Those things however were not the whole of his personality. The fact that he did want to give to the people of the cancer community in terms of his time and in terms of his service shows just what a giving person that he must have been. This film focuses primarily on the negative and in doing so does a disservice to Terry and very much fails in appropriately honoring him. No one routinely 100 percent of the time treats their family and friends as badly as is portrayed in this film. There is also the issue of the unnecessary language in the film that further tainted Terry and the film unnecessarily. I cannot believe that the family or the Terry Fox Foundation ever approved this travesty.

Skip this one and instead watch the 2005 version. it does a much more appropriate honoring of Terry. The actor - smile - Shawn Ashmore - is more attractive - smile - and easier to look at (what was with the goofy look in the 1983 version that they gave this actor before and after chemotherapy) the pacing is much better and doesn't leave you hanging at the end as the 1983 version does, the music is much more compelling and the film as a whole is far more positive.

Both films however don't appropriately honor the parents. In both films Terry's parents, siblings, and friends are portrayed much less than positive. I hope some form of documentary or film is made one day that does give the parents especially the honor and portrayal that they deserve.