Documentary Review: More Than Miyagi – The Pat Morita Story

In my house in the mid 80’s, according to my Mom, there were two people in the world that spoke volumes to the wisdom of what you should carry in your heart; Yoda from The Empire Strikes Back and Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid.  Of course, this is the woman who still thinks that that the original Battlestar Galactica – Saga of the Star World, which got a cinematic release in the UK, is better than Star Wars!  Go figure!  Still, when it comes to Yoda and Mr. Miyagi, she was back on right!

More Than Miyagi – The Pat Morita Story, debuting on Apple TV, showcases the talent that was Noriyuki “Pat” Morita, who for a generation of people, found fame in Happy Days, after a stint on the comedy circuit.  For another, he will always be the “was on, wax off” guy.  Fans of those two massive iconic performances may well be surprised by this movie.  Of course there are the good times, the great shows and a lot of The Karate Kid.  But behind all of that, there is a complicated story of a man who overcame so much only to lose the battle he fought his whole life.

As a boy Pat suffered spinal tuberculosis between the age of 2 and 9, spending years in a body cast, he suffered interment and whilst trying to find his way in show business, suffered the sort of racism that was the norm of the time.  He got his big break, took a couple of wrong turns, found another big break, lost his house and then had his biggest break leading to a nomination for an Academy Award.  When we have heroes, it is easy to believe that they are alway heroes.

There is a lot to celebrate about Pat in this movie; with friends, family and co-stars all chiming in to represent a man who obviously meant so much to them.  There is also a darkness; a disease that slowly and irrevocably took away the person that they loved, piece by piece, drink by drink and sip by sip.

As a documentary, this movie is engaging from the outset, covering Pat’s early life all the way through to his death.  I couldn’t help but laugh at the talent of the comedian, smile at Al in Happy Days and of course be moved by his performance in The Karate Kid, a role that delivered heart and emotion throughout, be it the prideful father figure at the end or the humanizing drunken scene that gives Daniel his focus.  This movie, through the voices of those who knew him best, scream of a fragile life, striving to perform, to act.

We all have our weaknesses.  For Pat it was alcohol.  Now seen through the prism of today’s society, alcoholism is correctly seen as a mental health issue.  This movie doesn’t shy away from Pat’s mistakes, his missteps and issues, showing the man behind Miyagi  and that makes us love them both; no, it make us love Pat even more.

Overall – 5 Stars