''The Terry Fox Story'' is a 1983 Canadian-American
biographical film of Canadian
amputee
Amputation is the removal of a limb by trauma, medical illness, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on indiv ...
and
runner Terry Fox
Terrance Stanley Fox (July 28, 1958 June 28, 1981) was a Canadian athlete, humanitarian, and cancer research activist. In 1980, with one leg having been amputated due to cancer, he embarked on an east-to-west cross-Canada run to raise money ...
. It was written by Howard Hume,
John Kastner and Rose Kastner, and directed by
Ralph L. Thomas
Ralph L. Thomas (born September 8, 1939) is a Brazilian-born Canadian film director and screenwriter. He was born in São Luís, Maranhão to Canadian Baptist missionary parents and grew up there and in Canada. He attended the University of Toro ...
. The film stars
Eric Fryer as Fox,
Chris Makepeace as his brother Darrell, and
Robert Duvall
Robert Selden Duvall (; born January 5, 1931) is an American actor and filmmaker. His career spans more than seven decades and he is considered one of the greatest American actors of all time. He is the recipient of an Academy Award, four Gold ...
as Fox's publicist, Bill Vigars. The cast also includes
Rosalind Chao
Rosalind Chao (; born September 23, 1957) is an American actress. Chao's best-known roles have been Soon-Lee Klinger in the mid-1980s CBS show '' AfterMASH'', Rose Hsu Jordan in the 1993 movie '' The Joy Luck Club'', the recurring character Ke ...
,
R. H. Thomson,
Elva Mai Hoover
Elva Mai Hoover is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her performance as Betty Fox in ''The Terry Fox Story'', for which she garnered a Genie Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the 5th Genie Awards, in 1984, and her televisio ...
,
Michael Zelniker
Michael Zelniker is a Canadian actor, director, and screenwriter. He is best known for his performance as Red Rodney in Clint Eastwood's Academy Award-winning film ''Bird'' (1988) and as Doug Alward in ''The Terry Fox Story'' (1983), for which he ...
,
Saul Rubinek
Saul Hersh Rubinek (born July 2, 1948) is a German-born Canadian actor, director, producer, and playwright.
He is widely known for his television roles, notably Artie Nielsen on ''Warehouse 13,'' Donny Douglas on ''Frasier'', Lon Cohen on ''A N ...
and
Patrick Watson.
The film was produced for
HBO in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
with Canadian
co-producers. Although it was also released in Canadian and British theatres, it was the first
television film
A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...
ever made for a
cable
Cable may refer to:
Mechanical
* Nautical cable, an assembly of three or more ropes woven against the weave of the ropes, rendering it virtually waterproof
* Wire rope, a type of rope that consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a hel ...
network.
[
The movie included the song " Runner", which was written by rock artist Ian Thomas in response to the coverage of Terry Fox's efforts.
]
Plot synopsis
Terry Fox, aspiring young Canadian athlete, learns that the pain in his right knee is due to a cancerous tumour, and his sporting career sadly comes to an end once he receives news that his leg has to be amputated. After a period of lengthy self-reflection, Terry falls in love with Rike Noda, played by Rosalind Chao
Rosalind Chao (; born September 23, 1957) is an American actress. Chao's best-known roles have been Soon-Lee Klinger in the mid-1980s CBS show '' AfterMASH'', Rose Hsu Jordan in the 1993 movie '' The Joy Luck Club'', the recurring character Ke ...
, a Christian teacher for mentally disabled children, who helps Terry in his quest to regain his self-confidence.
Despite his mother's disapproval, on April 12, 1980 Terry dips his artificial limb into the Atlantic Ocean in St. John's, Newfoundland, and sets off on a Marathon of Hope across Canada to raise money for cancer research - the disease he has been battling for three years. That summer, the young man hobbles triumphantly into Toronto, cheered by over 10,000 Canadians who have adopted the 22-year-old as a national hero. On September 1, after over 3,000 miles, he collapses in Thunder Bay, Ontario and was hospitalized.
Fox is accompanied on his journey by his friend, Doug Alward, played by Michael Zelniker
Michael Zelniker is a Canadian actor, director, and screenwriter. He is best known for his performance as Red Rodney in Clint Eastwood's Academy Award-winning film ''Bird'' (1988) and as Doug Alward in ''The Terry Fox Story'' (1983), for which he ...
, who has to bear the burden of Fox's disappointment and anger when the marathon does not meet his expectations. Robert Duvall
Robert Selden Duvall (; born January 5, 1931) is an American actor and filmmaker. His career spans more than seven decades and he is considered one of the greatest American actors of all time. He is the recipient of an Academy Award, four Gold ...
, starring as Bill Vigars, public relations officer for the Cancer Society of Canada, also accompanies Terry on his journey, and masterminds a publicity campaign which results in mass support for Terry's Marathon of Hope.
Cast
* Eric Fryer as Terry Fox
Terrance Stanley Fox (July 28, 1958 June 28, 1981) was a Canadian athlete, humanitarian, and cancer research activist. In 1980, with one leg having been amputated due to cancer, he embarked on an east-to-west cross-Canada run to raise money ...
*Robert Duvall
Robert Selden Duvall (; born January 5, 1931) is an American actor and filmmaker. His career spans more than seven decades and he is considered one of the greatest American actors of all time. He is the recipient of an Academy Award, four Gold ...
as Bill Vigars
* Chris Makepeace as Darrell Fox
*Rosalind Chao
Rosalind Chao (; born September 23, 1957) is an American actress. Chao's best-known roles have been Soon-Lee Klinger in the mid-1980s CBS show '' AfterMASH'', Rose Hsu Jordan in the 1993 movie '' The Joy Luck Club'', the recurring character Ke ...
as Rika Noda
*Michael Zelniker
Michael Zelniker is a Canadian actor, director, and screenwriter. He is best known for his performance as Red Rodney in Clint Eastwood's Academy Award-winning film ''Bird'' (1988) and as Doug Alward in ''The Terry Fox Story'' (1983), for which he ...
as Doug Alward
*Elva Mai Hoover
Elva Mai Hoover is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her performance as Betty Fox in ''The Terry Fox Story'', for which she garnered a Genie Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the 5th Genie Awards, in 1984, and her televisio ...
as Betty Fox
*Frank Adamson as Rolly Fox
*Marie McCann as Judith Fox
Production
The film was shot from August 23, 1982, to October 14, 1982, on a budget of $2,400,000 ().
Release
The rights to the film were pre-sold to the HBO and the CTV Television Network and aired on HBO on 22 May 1983. The film was theatrically released in 100 theatres on 27 May 1983.
Reception and awards
''Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' wrote, "The opening section suffers slightly as a result of brevity and awkward dramatics. However, once the film moves into the actual run, it never loses its emotional grip or falters in pacing and involvement." Ron Base of the ''Toronto Star
The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and pa ...
'' wrote, "That the Toronto producer Robert Cooper, director R. L. Thomas, and the screenwriter Ed Hume have been able to get truth onto the screen with so much life and intelligence is, to put it mildly, one of the season's most unexpected and refreshing surprises." David Macfarlane wrote in ''Maclean's
''Maclean's'', founded in 1905, is a Canadian news magazine reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian persp ...
'' that director Ralph Thomas "has chosen to avoid the risk of mystery; instead, he portrays the legend at its most obvious and simplistic level. Courage is a windswept sky. Tragedy is a swirl of violins. Banking on the cheap but correct assumption that tears already cried are waiting to be cried again, ''The Terry Fox Story'' is neither more nor less than a newspaper story that moves." Philip Wuntch wrote in ''The Boston Globe
''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'' that the film was "well-acted and nicely directed" and "a solid piece of craftsmanship, but it still seems like a made-for-TV movie ... The long shots are not too expansive, and there's an awareness of the natural boundaries of the small screen." '' Halliwell's Film Guide'' said of the film: "True it may be, but dramatically this is a one-note film with endless pretty pictures of the countryside and in the foreground signs of failing health."[
''The Terry Fox Story'' won six awards, including ]Best Picture
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
, at the 5th Genie Awards
The 5th Genie Awards were presented on March 21, 1984, at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto.Jay Scott, "Terry Fox Story wins best picture Genie". ''The Globe and Mail'', March 22, 1984. The awards ceremony was hosted by Louis Del Grande.
No ...
ceremony for Canadian film in 1984. Eric Fryer, the Scarborough amputee who played Fox, won Best Actor, and Michael Zelniker, won Best Supporting Actor for his role in playing Terry's best friend, Doug Alward.
* Best Picture
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
* Best Actor: Eric Fryer
* Best Supporting Actor: Michael Zelniker
Michael Zelniker is a Canadian actor, director, and screenwriter. He is best known for his performance as Red Rodney in Clint Eastwood's Academy Award-winning film ''Bird'' (1988) and as Doug Alward in ''The Terry Fox Story'' (1983), for which he ...
* Best Sound (Joe Grimaldi, Bruce Carwardine, Austin Grimaldi and Glen Gauthier)
* Best Sound Editing: (same as above; tied with '' The Wars'')
* Best Film Editing: (Ron Wisman)
The film was also nominated for Best Cinematography (Richard Ciupka) and Best Supporting Actress (Hoover). Duvall was nominated for Best Actor at the 1983 CableACE Awards
The CableACE Award (earlier known as the ACE Awards; ACE was an acronym for "Award for Cable Excellence") is a defunct award that was given by what was then the National Cable Television Association from 1978 to 1997 to honor excellence in Ame ...
, but did not win.
Despite its awards, the film was criticized by Fox's family for depicting him as ill-tempered.
Company Credits
* CTV Television Network
* Home Box Office (HBO)
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television, premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office busi ...
* Robert Cooper Productions
Distributors
* Home Box Office (HBO)
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television, premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office busi ...
(1983) (USA) (TV)
* Twentieth Century Fox
20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
(1983) (Canada) (theatrical)
* Roadshow Home Video (1984) (Australia) (video)
* Video Network (Brazil) (VHS)
Film Rights Owner
* Home Box Office (HBO)
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television, premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office busi ...
References
Works cited
*
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Terry Fox Story
1983 films
1983 drama films
1983 television films
1980s biographical drama films
American track and field films
Athletics films
American biographical drama films
English-language Canadian films
Canadian biographical drama films
Biographical films about sportspeople
Biographical television films
Canadian drama television films
Cultural depictions of track and field athletes
Cultural depictions of Canadian men
Films about amputees
Drama films based on actual events
Best Picture Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners
Terry Fox
Films directed by Ralph L. Thomas
Films scored by Bill Conti
HBO Films films
1980s American films
1980s Canadian films
Films about disability