AllMovie

The often-controversial story of one of the world's most popular entertainers comes to life in this made-for-cable biographical drama. Michael Jackson (played by Flex Alexander) grew up in the spotlight as a member of the popular R&B combo the Jackson 5, but his youthful success came with a price -- robbed of a normal childhood, as he grew to be a man, Jackson found himself increasingly eager to remake his life into the childhood he never had. In the 1980's, Jackson's solo career caught fire, and his album Thriller became the biggest selling album of all time, moving over 40 million copies and making him wealthy beyond his wildest dreams. But as Jackson struggled to repeat its success, his public image and reputation became increasingly eccentric, and as allegations of drug abuse, excessive plastic surgery, and inappropriate behavior with children were thrown at him, Jackson found himself trapped between his desire to entertain his fans and proving to the world that he was a normal and law-abiding man. Produced for the VH1 cable network, Man in the Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story was first aired in 2004 as court proceedings were scheduled to begin against Jackson, who had been accused of child molestation.