Fri 27 Apr 2007 18.55 EDT. A sister and brother face the realities of familial responsibility as they begin to care for their ailing father. I've visited these homes and this was real, down to the eccentric and often comically expletive-laden talk from the elderly inhabitants. A Reading of Away from Her, Sarah Polley’s adaptation of Alice Munro’s short story, "A Role About Winter for Julie Christie, a Star in Eternal Spring", "Metacritic: 2007 Film Critic Top Ten Lists", "The year's ten best films and other shenanigans", British Academy of Film and Television Arts, "65th Golden Globe Awards Nominations & Winners", "Final 14th Annual SAG Awards Recipient Press Release", "Away from Her, Afghanada earn scriptwriting awards", Ex-child star stirs Toronto in directorial debut, Directing her first movie, the ever-precocious Sarah Polley finds magic in age-old love, The Bear Came over the Mountain (short story, complete text), Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television for Best Motion Picture, The Best Damn Fiddler from Calabogie to Kaladar, Canadian Screen Award for Best First Feature (John Dunning Award), Comment ma mère accoucha de moi durant sa ménopause, Toronto Film Critics Association's Rogers Award for Best Canadian Film, The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Away_from_Her&oldid=998716334, Best First Feature Genie and Canadian Screen Award-winning films, Best Picture Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners, Films featuring a Best Drama Actress Golden Globe-winning performance, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Jane Tattersall, Barry Gilmore, Kathy Choi, David McCallum, Sue Conley and David Rose. Get unlimited DVD Movies & TV Shows delivered to your door with no … 45 of 55 people found this review helpful. Away From Her (based on Alice Munro's short story "The Bear Came Over the Mountain") is a beautiful movie. A man coping with the institutionalization of his wife because of Alzheimer's disease faces an epiphany when she transfers her affections to another man, Aubrey, a wheelchair-bound mute who also is a patient at the nursing home. Definitions by the largest Idiom Dictionary. Away From Her - Trailer No.1. The website's critical consensus states, "An accomplished directorial debut by Sarah Polley, Away From Her is a touching exploration of the effects of Alzheimer's, in which the tender wisdom of Polley's script is beautifully complemented by a wonderful performance from Julie Christie". [14] The Globe and Mail called it "heartbreaking" and "indelible". You are watching actors at the peak of their craft, Julie Christie (playing Fiona Anderson), Gordon Pinsent (Grant Anderson) and Olympia Dukakis (Marian) and there is never a false move.But beware, this is a movie for grown-ups and is reminiscent in some ways of "The Dead". The image dissolves to white, ski tracks melt over her face. Take a look ahead at some of our most anticipated superhero series arriving in 2021 and beyond. Using sympathy and tenderness for its characters, “Away From Her” tells the story of a marriage that drifts out of the memory of the wife, and of the husband’s efforts to deal with that fact. It is about the secrets of the marriage, the incarceration of a loved one in a home, the despair and sometimes desperation of the spouse left operating in the outside 'real' world, the sometimes outrageous bondings of the inhabitants of the group home and the compromises reached by all.There is much symbolism in the movie (the snow was particularly meaningful) and many wonderful, almost unnoticeable 'sidebits' - Olympia trying to pass off a store bought cookie as home-made for one - that bring this movie to wonderful heights. Written by Peter Bradshaw @PeterBradshaw1. Don't ever tell a 75 year old to go quietly into the night. But in his "moment alone" before he brings Aubrey into Fiona's room, Fiona temporarily remembers him and the love she has for him. She turns away and looks out at the water, happy. Away from Her is a 2006 Canadian independent drama film written and directed by Sarah Polley and starring Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent. Freeport Health Centre, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. I never wanted to be away from her. Julie Christie in Away From Her. He eventually succeeds in taking Aubrey back to visit his wife. The attention to detail is amazing. Fiona has just been admitted to Meadowlake, a long term care facility near their country home in southwestern Ontario, because her recent lapses of memory have been diagnosed as a probable case of Alzheimer's disease. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. The 18 year old girl grins. Despite the awkward situation, the couple makes love one last time before separating. [6] The DVD release of the film included Polley's 2001 short film I Shout Love as a bonus feature. Away from Her is an adaptation of a short story by Alice Munro, ‘The Bear Came Over the Mountain’, originally published in the New Yorker magazine in 1999. Oscar worthy. Away from Her ended up on my “got it wrong” list because it turns the caregiving relationship on its head. [1], The film received acclaim from critics. Neonatal puppies — newborn to three weeks — get chilled very easily. [5], For the nursing home scenes, Grand River Hospital (Freeport Site) in Kitchener, Ontario was used. Sarah Polley, still well under thirty, has taken one of my favourite Alice Monroe's stories and created magic with the script, casting and production of a remarkable and memorable film.The effect is profound. As she follows Grant, a retired professor whose wife Fiona begins gradually to lose her memory and drift away from h A mom looks for another source of income, when her husband leaves with the money meant for the new mobile home. While seeing his wife grow closer to Aubrey, Grant becomes an unhappy voyeur when visiting his wife at the nursing home. Beautiful but amoral model Diana Scott sleeps her way to the top of the London fashion scene at the height of the Swinging Sixties. Definition of shy away from her in the Idioms Dictionary. While Grant chooses to deny Fiona’s gradual deterioration, it soon becomes impossible to ignore. The occasional lucid moments offering hope, only to be followed, often quickly, by the bafflement of the dementia.But to focus solely on the still breathtakingly beautiful Julie and her brilliance in depicting a woman in the throes of the disease is to diminish the film as it is not only about that. Polley claimed to be impressed by Alice Munro's piece, saying "I found it so moving and poignant and it went so deep in me". [2], Principal photography was underway in Ontario in February 2006, scheduled to take place to April 7. [9] Mongrel Media and Capri Releasing released the film in Canada on 4 May. There are things I wish would go away. Right into our eyes. With respect to the facility, what Grant has the most difficulty with are what he sees as the sadness associated with the facility's second floor - where the more advanced cases are housed - but most specifically the facility's policy of no visitors within the first thirty days of admission to allow the patient to adjust more easily to their new life there. Away from Her (Cert 12A) Julie Christie in Away From Her. Long married, Fiona and Grant find their mutual devotion tested by her struggle with Alzheimers disease. Fiona has just been admitted to Meadowlake, a long term care facility near their country home in southwestern Ontario, because her recent lapses of memory have been diagnosed as a probable case of Alzheimer's disease. The feature film directorial debut of Polley, it is based on Alice Munro's short story "The Bear Came Over the Mountain", from the 2001 collection Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage. Their marriage has been a generally happy and loving one although not perfect due to some indiscretions when Grant was working as a college professor. I shouted yes. The title, Away From Her, references Grant’s feelings about Fiona on the day she proposed marriage to him: “I took her up on it. [11] It made an additional $2 million in the U.S.[6], The film finished its run on 19 July 2007 after grossing $4,571,521 in North America. Things we don't talk about. Beautifully portrayed film of love and devotion while masterfully observing the effects of Alzheimer's disease. This causes Fiona to sink into a deep depression, with her physical well-being also appearing to deteriorate. Discover something for everyone this month with some choice picks for the best movies and TV to stream in April. Sarah Polley read the short story "The Bear Came Over the Mountain" in The New Yorker when she was on a flight from working on Hal Hartley's No Such Thing in Iceland. Alice Munro has long been heralded for her penetrating, lyrical prose, and in “The Bear Came Over the Mountain” – the basis for Sarah Polley’s film Away From Her — her prodigious talents are once again on display. The feature-length directorial debut of Polley, the film is based on Alice Munro's short story "The Bear Came Over the Mountain", from the 2001 collection Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage. I'm not all gone, Grant. During the drive to the home, Fiona acknowledges Grant's past infidelity while he was a university professor. Other articles where Away from Her is discussed: Sarah Polley: She then wrote and directed Away from Her (2006), her adaptation of Alice Munro’s short story “The Bear Went over the Mountain,” for which she earned an Academy Award nomination for best adapted screenplay. “Away from Her” is Sarah Polley’s feature-length directorial debut. Starring Gordon Pinsent and Julie Christie as a married couple coping with Alzheimer’s disease and a… [21][22][23][24], Word about possible Academy Award recognition for Away from Her began at the Toronto International Film Festival, and critics associations particularly recognized Julie Christie for her performance. What does shy away from her expression mean? Olympia Dukakis, Michael Murphy, Wendy Crewson, Alberta Watson, and Kristen Thomson are featured in supporting roles. The actors and 60 crew members spent two weeks on an unused second floor. It was afterwards featured in the Sundance Film Festival and the Berlin International Film Festival. Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? [7] Entertainment Weekly gave it a B, with Lisa Schwarzbaum writing Christie is "mesmerizing". GRANT (V.O.) With respect to the facility, what Grant has the most difficulty with are what he sees as the sadness associated with the facility's second floor - where the more advanced cases are housed - but most specifically the facility's policy of no visitors within the first thirty days of admission to allow the patient to adjust more easily to their new life there. Despite being wary of this policy, Grant agrees at the insistence of his wife whom he loves. [20] Stella Papamichael, writing for BBC, gave it five stars, praising it as " a low-key yet powerful and uplifting story of love renewed", and said Christie's performance was memorable. [25] Lionsgate Films also chose to concentrate on promoting Christie in its Academy Award campaigning. As time passes, Grant continues to visit both Fiona and Marian. 5.0 out of 5 stars Away From Her. Away from Her patiently concentrates on both Fiona and Grant’s experiences throughout the subsequent ordeal, the former beset by fear, sadness, and—once she’s admitted to a retirement home—a consequent desire to not come into contact with things from her past, and the latter wracked by silent, lonely misery. Grant then faces an epiphany when Fiona transfers her .\r\rMarried for almost 50 years, Grants (Gordon Pinsent) and Fionas (Julie Christie) commitment to each other appears unwavering. But won't. A New England couple's college-aged son dates an older woman who has two small children and an unwelcome ex-husband. As of October 21, 2020, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 94% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 145 reviews, and an average rating of 8.12/10. [3] Although Polley said Christie liked the story, it was still challenging to persuade Christie to star given her desire to semi-retire, and she was secured after seven months of negotiation. [26], Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage, Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association. [5], The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2006. Verified Purchase. Marian initially refuses, but the meeting leads to a tentative relationship between her and Grant. The film received two nominations at the 80th Academy Awards: Best Actress (for Christie) and Best Adapted Screenplay (for Polley). [10], By 8 June 2007, Mongrel Media and Capri Releasing reported the film had grossed $1 million in Canada. Bravo to all concerned. [8] The film appeared on many critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2007. How old are the puppies? He would rather see his wife happy with another man than miserable and alone. Polley shows remarkable restraint in just allowing one of these eccentricities to run through the film when it might have been tempting to lay it on a little more thickly.Though never sentimental and often humorous, the world through Grant's eyes is vividly portrayed and his anguish is palpable as he witnesses both the disintegration and re-invention of his beloved Fiona. It also won seven Genie Awards, including Best Motion Picture. [15] Geoff Pevere gave it three stars in The Toronto Star, saying Christie gave a wonderful performance and Pinsent was even better. Jill Duggar Dillard says she never expected to be distant from her large family. A family of Irish immigrants adjust to life on the mean streets of Hell's Kitchen while also grieving the death of a child. This FAQ is empty. In reality, the person with Alzheimer’s becomes increasingly dependent emotionally (as well as practically and physically) on the care partner. Huggo. She and Grant made this decision together, although a still lucid Fiona seems to have made peace with the decision and her diagnosis more so than Grant. With Julie Christie, Michael Murphy, Gordon Pinsent, Stacey LaBerge. Grant and Fiona Anderson have been married for forty-four years. Grant and Fiona Anderson have been married for forty-four years. Smuggling? On one level “Away From Her” is a movie about Alzheimer’s. Although she isn’t new in cinema industry as she’s been acting at the age of four, she started her directing career in 1999 where she made short films. A caregiver at the facility befriends Grant and gives him some advice and support. I took her up on it. A heart-breaking, powerful and moving story brought beautifully to the screen. Away from Her The 25 Best Film Performances of the 2000s? Was this review helpful to you? "Away From Her" is a beautifully moving love story that deals with memory and the circuitous, unnamable paths of a long marriage. A film that excavates layers of myth and memory to find the elusive truth at the core of a family of storytellers. It's not just about the wreckage of a disease: It's also a spot-on meditation on marriage -- the sins forgiven but not forgotten and the transformative power of enduring love. You know. Grant is touched by this, and visits Marian in an effort to allow Fiona to see Aubrey again. [17] Peter Bradshaw, writing in The Guardian, found the film smart and said this is possibly Christie's greatest performance. He advised her on directing, telling her "the actor is the only person who is doing something genuinely magical on set- and that has to be protected at all costs". [2] She also envisioned her No Such Thing co-star Julie Christie as Fiona. When the 30-day period ends, Grant goes to visit his wife again, only to find she has forgotten him, and turned her affections to Aubrey, a mute man in a wheelchair who has become her "coping partner" in the facility. Grant and Fiona are a retired married couple living in rural Brant County, Ontario. Away from Her is a 2006 Canadian independent drama film written and directed by Sarah Polley and starring Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent. A happily married woman falls for the artist who lives across the street. shy away from her phrase. Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2019. 62 wins & 39 nominations. Away From Her is a love story about memory and devotion. However, her intentions with this new "friend" also go well beyond a platonic friendship. She had the spark of life. Synopsis: Away from Her is a 2006 Canadian drama film written and directed by Sarah Polley and starring Gordon Pinsent, Julie Christie and Olympia Dukakis. Away from Her earned high praise for its acting, and the beautiful Julie Christie provided enough of a publicity hook to secure a wide release. Their marriage has been a generally happy and loving one although not perfect due to some indiscretions when Grant was working as a college professor. The feature film directorial debut of Polley, it is based on Alice Munro's short story "The Bear Came Over the Mountain", from the 2001 collection Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage. Based on what he sees when he is finally able to ... Will a new Best Actress record be set at this Sunday’s SAG Awards? Olympia Dukakis, Michael Murphy, Wendy Crewson, Alberta Watson, and Kristen Thomson are featured in supporting roles. Sarah Polley wrote the screenplay and directed the film, which was released in 2007. [4], Atom Egoyan, who directed Polley in films such as The Sweet Hereafter, served as executive producer. When she feels she is becoming a risk to herself, Fiona decides to check into a nursing home, where one of the rules is that a patient cannot have any visitors for the first 30 days, in order to "adjust". [19], Variety's Dennis Harvey complimented it for "a low-key, intelligent setting for performances marked by those same qualities", singling out Pinsent and Christie. It was opening night for the critically acclaimed Canadian independent film Away From Her. ‎Watch trailers, read customer and critic reviews, and buy Away from Her directed by Sarah Polley for $7.99. (2006). Away from Her ( 581 ) IMDb 7.5 1 h 49 min 2007 X-Ray PG-13 A couple copes with the wife's diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and her growing affection for another nursing home patient. [16], Roger Ebert awarded it four stars, calling the greatest of the films about Alzheimer's of the early 21st century, and "a heartbreaking masterpiece". Has two small children and an unwelcome ex-husband 7 ] Entertainment Weekly gave it a B with. Heartfelt and honest observation of this policy, Grant agrees at the Toronto film... Want to share IMDb 's rating on your own site wife Marian removes from! 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