Due to my age, I can only vaguely remember when Terry Fox was running across Canada, but his story is definitely a legendary one here in my country. This is a solid film that begins with his life immediately before his leg is amputated, but it focuses on the actual "Marathon of Hope". Some of the dialogue seems a little unrealistic at times, and the film often moves at too brisk a pace, but the acting is fairly good, and in spite of the flaws, this is a story that needs to be heard if you are unfamiliar with it. Terry Fox is widely regarded as a great Canadian hero...here's your chance to find out why.
12 Reviews
One hell of an inspirational journey, adequately carried by untrained actor Fryer
videorama-759-8593912 April 2014
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.
TV tearjerker
SnoopyStyle28 December 2015
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.
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.
poignant then and now
biffo-518 January 2000
The premiere of this movie was attended by many of Terry Fox's wheelchair basketball team members. It was an emotional event to say the least. I never knew Terry, I arrived in Vancouver shortly after his death, but I took part in the first Terry Fox Run in 1982 and got myself plastered on every front page from coast to coast the following day. Terry Fox was a real person faced with a situation millions of people face everyday, he showed tenacity in the face of adversity and inspired many since - myself included. >
Born of the Sun
caspian197821 December 2021
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.
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.
Very uplifting and tearjerking
justinl-11 August 1999
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.
The Terry Fox Story is a very good made for TV movie and will move you
playerschoice12 April 2005
just as Terry did in his short but heroic life. How accurate the movie is I am sure it is quite accurate but have heard of a few inaccuracies compared to the real road trip. I recommend this movie to anyone that loves a beautiful heartwarming true story but be warned as you must know the tears will come just a matter of how many and when.......Makepeace and Duvall do a great job portraying Terry and his publicist with a lot of the inside scenes being somewhat difficult to believe. If you get a chance to watch this made for TV movie you won't regret it one bit, truly a classic in Canadian history. There is a documentary on Terry as well which I will post a review on later.
This version is too negative not appropriately honoring Terry, watch instead the 2005 version
sheldonlinda27 December 2019
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.
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.
Sincere But Finally A Drag
secragt13 October 2003
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.
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.
Awful portrayal
schallatracie19 September 2023
This movie was the worst Terry Fox movie there was and there aren't many to choose from. Terry comes off as a constantly negative, combative, angry man. While I never knew him I feel like there's no way he was like this all his life as they are showing. I hope no one makes the mistake of watching this and wondering why we Canadians love him so dearly. As a national treasure, there's no way I'd ever show this film to anyone wondering about who Terry Fox was. I need to type more words because saying my short rant of how awful this movie was is too short and it is making me type a while lot more words.
He deserved a better tribute than this film.
planktonrules17 July 2023
My perspective on "The Terry Fox Story" is different than many other folks'. This is because I am a cancer survivor and the portions of the film dealing with that kicked up a lot of feelings and I felt like, at times, it was handled very poorly...rather ham-fisted at that.
The story is based on the life of Terry Fox, a Canadian who inspired millions and became famous with his run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. Because Fox had died towards the end of his inspiring run, the filmmakers had to find a one-legged actor to play Fox and newcomer Eric Fryer (in his only film) took the role.
Apparently Terry Fox's family did not like the way he was portrayed in the movie. He did seem a bit like a jerk at times and they really objected to this...and I can see why. My objections were not about this but the way the film portrayed cancer---with a ridiculous and seemingly fake scene in the hospital that made me angry as it seemed exploitive and over the top.
What the film did get right later in the story was the inspirational nature of Fox and his 'never say die' attitude. Of course, it is inspiring...but also incredibly sad.
So is the film any good? Not really. Much of it is because although it's an HBO production, the quality of the acting is mostly poor and often very melodramatic. So, you have a good story but also one that isn't handled all that well. While I've never seen the later version of Fox's life, "Terry", I can't help but think it has to be better. Perhaps much of this is because this was the first film made by HBO and the quality of their productions soon improved.
The story is based on the life of Terry Fox, a Canadian who inspired millions and became famous with his run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. Because Fox had died towards the end of his inspiring run, the filmmakers had to find a one-legged actor to play Fox and newcomer Eric Fryer (in his only film) took the role.
Apparently Terry Fox's family did not like the way he was portrayed in the movie. He did seem a bit like a jerk at times and they really objected to this...and I can see why. My objections were not about this but the way the film portrayed cancer---with a ridiculous and seemingly fake scene in the hospital that made me angry as it seemed exploitive and over the top.
What the film did get right later in the story was the inspirational nature of Fox and his 'never say die' attitude. Of course, it is inspiring...but also incredibly sad.
So is the film any good? Not really. Much of it is because although it's an HBO production, the quality of the acting is mostly poor and often very melodramatic. So, you have a good story but also one that isn't handled all that well. While I've never seen the later version of Fox's life, "Terry", I can't help but think it has to be better. Perhaps much of this is because this was the first film made by HBO and the quality of their productions soon improved.
Too Canadian Like
o_john_o3 October 2020
It was too much like the Littlest Hobo with people eh and the guy with the artificial leg would some time limp on the wrong side. It was not that great and back then then in those days of yor beer bottles were only stubbies not those tall boys ya see in here, took me right out of the story of running so far to the big nickel.
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