Away From Her
Based on the Short Story, "The Bear Came Over the Mountain" by Alice Munro
Away From Her is a beautifully moving love story that deals with memory and the circuitous, unnamable paths of a long marriage. Married for 44 years, Grant and Fiona's commitment to each other appears unwavering, and their everyday life is full of tenderness and humor. This serenity is broken only by Fiona's increasingly evident memory loss, creating a tension that is usually brushed off casually. As the lapses become more obvious and dramatic, it is no longer possible for either of them to ignore the fact that she is suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
Member Reviews
Subtle - RobBC
A soft, gentle film about a couple coming undone due to Alzheimer’s disease. As Grant enters his autumn years, Fiona slowly retreats into an eternal springtime of sunshine and fading memories. Pinsent plays the husband with great restraint, often using nothing more than a glance to convey the depths of the man’s despair while Christie brings a sense of graceful dignity to Fiona, holding her head high even as she fades away. But it is Dukakis’ crusty yet practical Marian that keeps the film firmly anchored and prevents it from slipping into maudlin sentimentality. Polley accents the film with subtle shifts of timelines, a keen eye for visuals: blue shadows in a wintry wood, delicate wildflowers covered in frost, and a few sly elements of pure Canadiana that let you know this film belongs north of the 49th. A remarkable achievement.Heartbreaking - 0930tracey
I actually had to pause this movie a few times to take a break. Ususally this is a bad thing for me, but this was the opposite. I couldn't see through the tears. The storytelling by Sarah Polley is haunting, yet beautiful. As a woman who has had to see 2 family members venture through Alzeimer's, it simply broke my heart. The setting itself was stunning. The acting was suberb. I strongly recommend this film.Just get some tissue.Away from Her (2007) - andythesaint
While Away from Her is undoubtedly heart-wrenching at times, it's not the sort of maudlin grief-fest you might expect. In true Canadian fashion, it's much more reserved and much less showy in its depiction of the disease and its effect on those involved with it.
Instead, Sarah Polley takes a more mature approach to her feature directorial debut, allowing her characters dignity while not shying away from the difficult realities of their situation. Christie gives an excellent, measured performance as Fiona Anderson, a vibrant 66-year-old afflicted with Alzheimer's, without the usual overt showmanship. Gordon Pinsent is her equal as Fiona's husband Grant who deals with Fiona's absentmindedness while denying her need to move into a special needs facility.
Eventually, they check her into a facility, where they are forced to spend 30 days apart as per regulations. When Grant returns after this period, he discovers that his wife has seemingly forgotten him, forcing him to deal with the loss of their bond along with a new development that requires him to perform a stunning act of self-sacrifice for her well being. It's these developments that help make Away from Her more than a simple movie of the week type presentation of Alzheimer's, giving the movie real dramatic weight. The decisions the characters make give it a real sense of gravitas and allow the afflicted characters to be more than their disease.
It's a quiet little movie, sometimes overly so, with Polley employing a broken chronology to make the movie more about the characters than their destination. The broken structure also helps reinforce the theme of the fluid and unreliable nature of memory, giving the movie an elegiac tone without devolving into melodrama. The film marks Polley as a talent to watch behind the camera as much as she is in front of it, producing a mature and assured first effort that is effective without being overly morose, painful yet also beautiful.
Member Reviews
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Subtle - RobBC
A soft, gentle film about a couple coming undone due to Alzheimer’s disease. As Grant enters his autumn years, Fiona slowly retreats into an eternal springtime of sunshine and fading memories. Pinsent plays the husband with great restraint, often using nothing ...Heartbreaking - 0930tracey
I actually had to pause this movie a few times to take a break. Ususally this is a bad thing for me, but this was the opposite. I couldn't see through the tears. The storytelling by Sarah Polley is haunting, yet beautiful. As a woman who has had to see 2 family ...Away from Her (2007) - andythesaint
While Away from Her is undoubtedly heart-wrenching at times, it's not the sort of maudlin grief-fest you might expect. In true Canadian fashion, it's much more reserved and much less showy in its depiction of the disease and its effect on those involved with ...