The 1989 role Michael J Fox wishes he could do over: “With a better understanding”
Michael J Fox has said he would like to reprise his role in Brian De Palma’s 1989 war drama *Casualties of War*, bringing to it what he has learnt from living with Parkinson’s disease. The film was a demanding departure from his comic roles, and Fox later felt he could approach its themes of cruelty, suffering and beauty with greater understanding.
Based on Daniel Lang’s account of a real wartime case, the film stars Sean Penn as a soldier who leads the abduction and assault of a Vietnamese woman, and Fox as the fellow soldier who refuses to conceal the crime. Filmed in Thailand, the production was physically taxing; Fox recalled disliking everyone by the 60th day in the jungle. The film performed poorly, and Fox said he had hoped it would establish him as a dramatic actor.
- Fox would revisit his role in *Casualties of War*.
- He says Parkinson’s gave him a deeper perspective.
- The 1989 film was a difficult shoot and a box-office failure.
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Michael J Fox was best known for comic roles when he appeared in Casualties of War, a 1989 film directed by Brian De Palma. It is based on Daniel Lang’s account of a real case involving US soldiers during the Vietnam War.
Sean Penn plays a soldier who leads the abduction and assault of a Vietnamese woman. Fox plays a fellow soldier who refuses to hide the crime. The film was a demanding dramatic role for Fox, who hoped it would broaden how audiences saw him.
The story examines abuse of power and the choices people face when they witness violence. Fox has since spoken about how living with Parkinson’s disease changed his understanding of suffering and beauty.