Welcome back to the Cause Cinema Spotlight.
This week, we have yet another spectacular performance by Sally Hawkins, who you may remember from her Oscar nominated performance in The Shape of Water; and we have two more solid docs to share. One just in time for Mother’s Day, and another that will likely be part of the awards conversation. So let’s start there.
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie
The film, incorporates documentary, archival and scripted elements, to recount Fox’s extraordinary story in his own words — the improbable tale of an undersized kid from a Canadian army base who rose to the heights of stardom in 1980s Hollywood. The account of Fox’s public life, full of nostalgic thrills and cinematic gloss, unspools alongside his never-before-seen private journey, including the years that followed his diagnosis, at 29, with Parkinson’s disease. Intimate and honest, and produced with unprecedented access to Fox and his family, the film chronicles his personal and professional triumphs and travails and explores what happens when an incurable optimist confronts an incurable disease. With a mix of adventure and romance, comedy and drama, watching the film will feel like, well, like a Michael J. Fox movie.
Learn more and see where to watch here.
The Lost King
In this inspiring true story, amateur historian Philippa Langley (played by Sally Hawkins) believes she has made the archeological find of the century: the lost burial site of King Richard III. She takes on Britain’s most eminent historians, forcing them to rethink the legacy of one of the most controversial rulers in English history.
Learn more and see where to watch here.
And finally, with Mother’s Day this weekend…
Dear Mama
From award-winning director Allen Hughes comes FX’s Dear Mama, a deeply personal five-part series that defies the conventions of traditional documentary storytelling to share an illuminating saga of mother and son, Afeni and Tupac Shakur. Their story chronicles the possibilities and contradictions of the U.S. from a time of revolutionary fervor to Hip Hop culture’s most ostentatious decade.
Learn more and see where to watch here.
And that’s a wrap for the Cause Cinema Spotlight. Hope you enjoy this week’s picks.
As we continue to expand the awareness of these impactful stories, we appreciate you sharing this post with your friends and family.
Still Fox, Lost King & Dear Mama