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AWAY FROM HER / Sarah Polley (2006)

April 17th, 2007 by Scott Marks

Gordon Pinsent & Julie Christie in Sarah Polley’s AWAY FROM HER (2006)

Away from Her (2006)

Directed by: Sarah Polley

Written by: Alice Munro, Sarah Polley

Cast: Gordon Pinsent, Julie Christie, Olympia Dukakis, Deanna Dezmari, Clare Coulter, Thomas Hauff, Alberta Watson, Grace Lynn Kung, Lili Francks, Andrew Moodie, Wendy Crewson, Judy Sinclair, Tom Harvey, Carolyn Heatherington, Melanie Merkosky

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Running Time: 110 min.

Genres: Drama, Romance

As soon as Fiona (Julie Christie) put the freshly washed frying pan in the freezer the Lifetime Channel alarm went off: did I detect a big screen blowup of that disease-of-the-week made-for-cable staple, Alzheimer’s?

From the moment they first met in college, Grant (Gordon Pinsent) didn’t want to be away from her. At 18, Icelandic Fiona surprised her Norse Mythology professor by popping the question.

Almost half of their 44 years together were harmoniously spent in a rustic Canadian cabin his grandparents left them. Minor memory blips were one thing, forgetting where she lived after a routine ski hike another. There was only one thing Fiona was certain of: Grant could no longer be her primary caregiver.

Everything changes, including the lighting and camerawork, when Grant arrives at Meadowlake. The administrator (Wendy Crewson) is as warm and congenial as any well programmed automaton. A giant plasma screen plays to no one in particularand oldsters take their teacups for a walk. It’s hell with an overabundance of sunshine.

Does Fiona really need a place like Meadowlake? She was always a bit of a flake, what if she’s pretending? When reminded that she’s going to visit to the facility, Fiona plays dumb for a moment before surprising Grant with a “Just kidding!”

Most disheartening is a thirty-day acclimation period before new arrivals can receive visitors. The loneliness is only slightly less debilitating than Grant’s constant state of cheery denial. Their reunion is heartbreaking: not only is Grant a faded memory, but Fiona has replaced him with Aubrey (Michael Murphy), a near catatonic fellow patient.

To say that this functions quite well as a training film for loved ones of Alzheimer’s victims may scare off some readers. It shouldn’t, if for no other reason than Away from Her marks the directorial debut of talented Canadian actress Sarah Polley (The Sweet Hereafter, The Claim, Don’t Come Knocking).

One would automatically assume that a 27-year-old filmmaker would only tackle this material as a form of personal therapy. On a plane back from Iceland Ms. Polley discovered Alice Munro’s short story, The Bear Came Over the Mountain in the New Yorker. This flight occurred during the filming of Hal Hartley’s, No Such Thing in which Ms. Polley starred opposite Julie Christie.

Almost by way of appreciation, Ms. Polley handed Ms. Christie the role of her career. Comedy is not something readily associated with the story of a couple coming to terms with the onset of memory loss, but Ms. Christie constantly surprises us with flashes of humor.

Even more difficult to play is the husband whose eternal optimism is tested and battered on a near hourly basis. Mr. Pisent is never out of the moment and his performance is so honest and heartbreaking that Academy voters are bound to forget both he and Ms. Christie come next February.

As Aubrey’s angry wife Marian, Olympia Dukakis more than makes up for In the Land of Women’s unbearable grandma Phyllis. She also adds her own unique piece to the puzzle. When Grant leaves her house after requesting that Aubrey be brought back to Meadowlake to keep Fiona company, she mutters, “what a jerk.” Whether that’s in reference to Grant or Marian remains ambiguous.

At times, Ms. Polley can’t hide her freshman status. With the exception of a lovely dance to Neil Young’s Harvest Moon, her use of music is overbearing. The same can be said for her inclusion of W. H. Auden’s Letters from Iceland. It’s okay to leave a copy conspicuously placed on a coffee table, but the constant voiceovers become oppressive.

Judging by some of the camerawork, the vessel in the freezer wasn’t the only misplaced pan. These complaints are minor when compared to her overall handling of the actors and steadicam.

You’ll cry for about twenty of the film’s 110 minutes. You’ll also laugh in addition to being extraordinarily moved. Alzheimer’s disease may not be the subject d’jour for a date night movie. Catch a Monday late show by yourself.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

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Filed Under Reviews, Theatrical