The Terry Fox Story
| The Terry Fox Story | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Written by | Edward Hume |
| Story by | John Kastner Rose Kastner |
| Directed by | Ralph L. Thomas |
| Starring | Eric Fryer |
| Music by | Bill Conti |
| Country of origin | Canada United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producer | Bob Cooper |
| Running time | 97 minutes |
| Production company | HBO Premiere Films |
| Budget | $2,400,000 |
| Original release | |
| Network | HBO |
| Release | 22 May 1983 |
The Terry Fox Story is a 1983 Canadian-American
The film was produced for
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, 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, who has to bear the burden of Fox's disappointment and anger when the marathon does not meet his expectations. Robert Duvall, 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.[2]
Cast
- Eric Fryer as Terry Fox[3]
- Robert Duvall as Bill Vigars[3]
- Chris Makepeace as Darrell Fox[3]
- Rosalind Chao as Rika Noda[3]
- Michael Zelniker as Doug Alward[3]
- Elva Mai Hoover as Betty Fox[3]
- Frank Adamson as Rolly Fox[3]
- Marie McCann as Judith Fox[3]
Production
The film was shot from August 23, 1982, to October 14, 1982, on a budget of $2,400,000 (equivalent to $6,190,164 in 2021).[4]
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.[4]
Reception and awards
The Terry Fox Story won six awards, including
- Best Picture
- Best Actor: Eric Fryer
- Best Supporting Actor: Michael Zelniker
- 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
Despite its awards, the film was criticized by Fox's family for depicting him as ill-tempered.[10]
Company Credits
- CTV Television Network
- Home Box Office (HBO)
- Robert Cooper Productions
Distributors
- Home Box Office (HBO)(1983) (USA) (TV)
- Twentieth Century Fox(1983) (Canada) (theatrical)
- Roadshow Home Video(1984) (Australia) (video)
- Video Network (Brazil) (VHS)
Film Rights Owner
- Home Box Office (HBO)
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0-00-726080-5.
- ^ "The TERRY FOX STORY" - Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 51, Iss. 600, (Jan 1, 1984): 251.
- ^ a b c d e f g h The Terry Fox Story (TV Movie 1983), retrieved 2018-04-02
- ^ a b Turner 1987, p. 393.
- ^ "Film Reviews: The Terry Fox Story". Variety. May 4, 1983. p. 10.
- ^ Base, Ron (May 27, 1983). "Terry Fox movie scores as a true-grit tearjerker". Toronto Star. D1.
- ^ Macfarlane, David (May 30, 1983). "In praise of the hero, not the man". Maclean's. 46.
- ^ Wuntsch, Philip (May 21, 1983). "Small-screen look to 'Terry Fox Story'". The Boston Globe. 13.
- ^ Jay Scott, "Terry Fox Story wins best picture Genie Etic Fryer, Martha Henry take top acting awards." The Globe and Mail, March 22, 1984.
- ^ MCKAY, JOHN (September 9, 2005). "Terry Fox: a hero's story". Maclean's. Canadian Press. Archived from the original on October 19, 2009.
Works cited
- Turner, D. John, ed. (1987). Canadian Feature Film Index: 1913-1985. ISBN 0660533642.
