TERRY FOX STORY, THE (TV)
Summary
This made-for-television drama film tells the true story of Canadian athlete Terry Fox and his remarkable fight against cancer. The story begins in Vancouver as an eighteen-year-old Terry plays basketball with his friend Doug and suffers a twisted ankle, and he heads for the hospital when the pain worsens significantly. He is then shocked to learn that he has a malignant tumor in his knee and, even with amputation and chemotherapy, has only a 50-75% chance of survival. Some time after the surgery, Terry is fitted with a temporary prosthesis and begins to suffer the side effects of chemo, though he soon meets and befriends fellow cancer patient Bob Cady. He determinedly returns to his favorite athletic pastimes in a wheelchair, though his mother cautions him against "overdoing it" while still weak from treatment, and Terry grows increasingly frustrated with his illness and that of his friends, including a deteriorating Bob. He soon meets and falls for Rika Noda, a special-needs educator, and he confides in her about his hatred of the grim atmosphere of the hospital as their relationship deepens. Terry resolves to return to running on his new prosthetic, though his doctor warns him that he may be pushing his body too hard, and he soon takes part in a marathon with the enthusiastic support of his friends and family. Everyone is surprised, however, when he declares his intentions to run across the entirety of Canada to raise money for cancer research. Despite his mother's objections, Terry's family helps him to plot his complicated east-to-west route across the country, and Doug agrees to accompany him in a camper. Terry encounters trouble in securing sponsors and damages his prosthetic as he trains, and he soon tells Rika that they must split up, as he "doesn't want to think of anybody else" during his run. He quickly changes his mind and begs her to come along, however, admitting that he is having dizzy spells and may have an enlarged heart, but she refuses, frustrated with his self-centered attitude. In July of 1980, Terry receives an official send-off from the city as he departs from Newfoundland, though he quickly falls behind schedule and begins behaving harshly towards Doug, who eventually accuses him of being on "one big ego trip."
After a ferry ride to Nova Scotia, Terry gives a speech about his efforts so far and publicly acknowledges Doug's efforts, admitting that he has treated his friend unfairly. Doug questions him about his heart problems, having learned the truth from Rika, though Terry dismisses his worries. His brother Darrell soon catches up with them and helps them to collect donations along the way, though Terry begins to worry that few spectators understand the true meaning of his run. The trio is then met by Bill Vigars of the Toronto Cancer Society, who offers to serve as a publicist of sorts, explaining that Terry will make better money in Ontario rather than Quebec. Thanks to Bill's efforts, Terry is met with a huge crowd in Ontario and encounters hundreds of supportive fans, though Bill's strict schedule begins to take a toll on him. In July, Terry reunites with his parents and Rika, but Bill soon adds extra miles to his route and suggests a few high-profile endorsement opportunities, causing Terry to feel that the run is no longer "his." He is further frustrated by some critical remarks about his progress in the newspaper, though he is encouraged by letters from Rika and by ten-year-old fellow cancer patient Gregg, who joins his route on a bike and then teaches him to swim. Moved by the experience, Terry gives another speech and explains that he has a new understanding of what his journey is "really about."
Terry's cough worsens as he approaches Thunder Bay, on the edge of Lake Superior, and he soon calls Rika from a hospital and reveals that his cancer has returned, this time in his lungs. He is forced to abandon his trek after running a total of 3,339 miles, and Bill explains in a voiceover that he resumed treatments and went on to raise $24 million for cancer research in a telethon. He was furthermore awarded the Order of Canada and had a mountain in the Rockies named for him before his death in 1981 at the age of twenty-two.
Details
- NETWORK: HBO
- DATE: November 30, 1982 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:36:42
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:04048
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama; Biography; Athletes
- SERIES RUN: HBO - TV, 1983
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Gurston I. Rosenfeld … Executive Producer
- Michael A. Levine … Executive Producer
- Robert Cooper … Producer
- John M. Eckert … Associate Producer
- Ralph L. Thomas … Director
- John Kastner … Writer
- Rose Kastner … Writer
- Edward Hume … Writer
- Bill Conti … Music by
- Robert Duvall … Cast, Bill Vigars
- Christopher Makepeace … Cast, Darrell Fox
- Rosalind Chao … Cast, Rika Noda
- Michael Zelniker … Cast, Doug Alward
- Elva Mai Hoover … Cast, Betty Fox
- Frank Adamson … Cast, Rolly Fox
- Marie McCann … Cast, Judith Fox
- Eric Fryer … Cast, Terry Fox
- Saul Rubinek … Cast, Dan Grey
- Chuck Shamata … Cast, Wilson
- R.H. Thomson … Cast, Dr. Simon
- Patrick Watson … Cast, Peg Leg
- Clyde Rose … Cast, Fisherman
- Austin Davis … Cast, NFLD Merchant
- Matt Craven … Cast, Bob Cady
- Jeremy Brown … Cast, M.C. Nathan Phillips Square
- Sheldon Rybowski … Cast, Gogie
- Dorothy Wyatt … Cast, Mayor Wyatt
- Steven Hunter … Cast, Official at Barrie
- Robert Des Roches … Cast, French Canadian Driver
- Jayne Foster … Cast, Jeffrey's Mother
- Karen Racicot … Cast, French Canadian Waitress
- Howie Siegel … Cast, Orderly
- Laura Vickers … Cast, Jill
- Chris Stodard … Cast, Scott
- Gary Darycott … Cast, Gregg
- Gary Baker … Cast, Spectator
- Barry Greene … Cast, Man in Crowd #1
- Al Coombs … Cast, Man in Crowd #2
- Lori Chodos … Cast, Girl #1
- Laurie Oberding … Cast, Girl #2
- Jaclyn Stevens … Cast, Girl #3
- Ian Heath … Cast, Little Boy
- Brian Kaulback … Cast, Man with Bullhorn
- Murray Lowry … Cast, Driver With $5.00
- Susan Payne … Cast, Rika's Friend