Michael J. Fox's Best Performance Shines in Bright Lights, Big City

Michael J. Fox, long known for likable, charismatic parts, took a different turn between Back to the Future and its sequel when he starred in Bright Lights, Big City. He plays Jamie, a wannabe writer sinking into severe depression after his wife (Phoebe Cates) leaves and his mother (Dianne Wiest) dies.

To cope he parties with his friend Allagash (Kiefer Sutherland), drinks heavily and uses cocaine, and the film follows the downward spiral that results. The movie did not fare well commercially or critically, earning a 59% score on Rotten Tomatoes and earning $16 million against a $25 million budget.

What separates the film from those numbers is Fox’s somber, unrestrained turn. Coming off roles in Back to the Future, Teen Wolf and The Secret of My Success, and while Family Ties was still on the air, he played against type as a directionless, self-destructive man who is often sleep-deprived, buzzed or completely wasted, yet never loses the audience’s sympathy.

michael fox, bright lights, bttf, teen wolf, family ties, kiefer sutherland, phoebe cates, dianne wiest, depression, cocaine