Terry Fox: Le coureur de l'espoir

This movie is right up there with Rocky and maybe even more uplifting as it is based on a true story. It is a story of Terry Fox, a young man diagnosed with cancer and forced to give up most of his leg. In the hospital he is horrified at the condition of the young children who are fighting various types of cancer. He decides to raise money by running across Canada. To this day there are Terry Fox races all over Canada to keep raising money for Terry's cause. This movie is out of production but I was able to rent it.

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.

Terry Fox is a Canadian icon. Perserverance and triumph through unspeakable tragedy. This portrayal is an abomination. Early in the film we see a fellow patient sketching a flower vase. The "artist's" chalk is not even touching the canvas in the scenes. Rank amateurs attempting to cash in on a proper hero. Throw in Robert Duval in one of the penultimate scenes and you have a package toi sell. Clumsy and terrible. Avoid this film at all costs. Exploitation and offensively poor. Shame on everyone involved. There is nothing in this film that portrays the heart of overcoming personal tragedy to the spirit required to run across the country on one leg in a harsh climate to help strangers. Instead it is an exercise in misunderstanding and exploitation.

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.

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.