Away from Her

Away from Her is a 2006 Canadian independent drama film written and directed by Sarah Polley and starring Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent. Olympia Dukakis, Michael Murphy, Wendy Crewson, Alberta Watson, and Kristen Thomson are featured in supporting roles. 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.

Away from Her
Theatrical release poster
Directed bySarah Polley
Produced byDaniel Iron
Simone Urdl
Jennifer Weiss
Screenplay bySarah Polley
Based onThe Bear Came Over the Mountain
by Alice Munro
StarringJulie Christie
Gordon Pinsent
Olympia Dukakis
Michael Murphy
Kristen Thomson
Wendy Crewson
Music byJonathan Goldsmith
CinematographyLuc Montpellier
Edited byDavid Wharnsby
Production
company
Capri Releasing
Echo Lake Productions
Foundry Films
Hanway Films
The Film Farm
Distributed byCapri Releasing
Pulling Focus Pictures
Lionsgate Films (US)
Release date
  • September 11, 2006 (2006-09-11) (Toronto)
  • May 4, 2007 (2007-05-04) (Canada)
Running time
110 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish
Box office$9.1 million[1]

The story centers on a couple whose marriage is tested when the wife begins to develop Alzheimer's and moves into a nursing home, where she loses virtually all memory of her husband and begins to develop a close relationship with another nursing home resident.

Away from Her premiered at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival and the Berlin International Film Festival. It was theatrically released on May 4, 2007 and garnered critical acclaim, with critics praising Christie's performance and Polley's screenplay and direction. The film received two nominations at the 80th Academy Awards: Best Actress (for Christie) and Best Adapted Screenplay (for Polley). It also won seven Genie Awards, including Best Motion Picture.

Plot

Grant and Fiona are a retired married couple living in rural Brant County, Ontario. Fiona begins to lose her memory, and it becomes apparent she has Alzheimer's disease. Throughout the film, Grant's reflections on his marriage are woven with his reflections on his own infidelities, and influence his eventual decisions regarding Fiona's happiness.

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". Despite being wary of this policy, Grant agrees at the insistence of his wife whom he loves. During the drive to the home, Fiona acknowledges Grant's past infidelity while he was a university professor. Despite the awkward situation, the couple makes love one last time before separating.

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. A caregiver at the facility befriends Grant and gives him some advice and support.

While seeing his wife grow closer to Aubrey, Grant becomes an unhappy voyeur when visiting his wife at the nursing home. As time goes by and Fiona still does not remember him, Grant even wonders whether Fiona's dementia is an act, to punish him for his past indiscretions. After some time, Aubrey's wife Marian removes him from the home due to financial difficulties. This causes Fiona to sink into a deep depression, with her physical well-being also appearing to deteriorate. Grant is touched by this, and visits Marian in an effort to allow Fiona to see Aubrey again. He would rather see his wife happy with another man than miserable and alone. Marian initially refuses, but the meeting leads to a tentative relationship between her and Grant. As time passes, Grant continues to visit both Fiona and Marian. He eventually succeeds in taking Aubrey back to visit his wife. But in his "moment alone" before he brings Aubrey into Fiona's room, Fiona temporarily remembers him and the love she has for him. They embrace.

Cast

Production

Development
Director Sarah Polley adapted her screenplay from Alice Munro's story.

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. 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] She also envisioned her No Such Thing co-star Julie Christie as Fiona.[2]

At that point of Polley's career, she had acted and had directed numerous short films, while the Munro adaptation would be her first feature film as director.[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.[4]

Atom Egoyan, who directed Polley in films such as The Sweet Hereafter, served as executive producer. 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]

Filming

Principal photography was underway in Ontario in February 2006, scheduled to take place to April 7.[3] Most of the shooting occurred in Kitchener, Ontario, with some filming in Brant, Bracebridge, Paris, Ontario and Toronto.[5]

For the nursing home scenes, Grand River Hospital (Freeport Site) in Kitchener, Ontario was used. The actors and 60 crew members spent two weeks on an unused second floor.[5]

Release

The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2006. It was afterwards featured in the Sundance Film Festival and the Berlin International Film Festival.[6]

In the United Kingdom, Away from Her opened on 27 April 2007.[7] Distributed by Lions Gate Films,[8] the film opened in New York City on 4 May 2007.[9] Mongrel Media and Capri Releasing released the film in Canada on 4 May.[6] The DVD release of the film included Polley's 2001 short film I Shout Love as a bonus feature.[10]

Reception

Box office

By 8 June 2007, Mongrel Media and Capri Releasing reported the film had grossed $1 million in Canada.[6] It was the first English Canadian film to cross the $1 million threshold in Canada in 2007.[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. It made $4,622,762 in other territories, for a worldwide total of $9,194,283.[1]

Critical reception
Julie Christie received praise for her performance and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress.

The film received acclaim from critics. 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. 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".[12] Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 88 out of 100 signifying 'universal acclaim' based on 36 reviews.[13] In Canada, the Toronto International Film Festival named it one of Top 10 Canadian films of the year.[14] The Globe and Mail called it "heartbreaking" and "indelible".[15] Geoff Pevere gave it three stars in The Toronto Star, saying Christie gave a wonderful performance and Pinsent was even better.[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".[17] Peter Bradshaw, writing in The Guardian, found the film smart and said this is possibly Christie's greatest performance.[18] Dave Calhoun of Time Out said the film stood out for the idea that Fiona's Alzheimer's is punishment for Gordon's adulteries.[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.[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.[7] Entertainment Weekly gave it a B, with Lisa Schwarzbaum writing Christie is "mesmerizing".[8] The film appeared on many critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2007.[21][22][23][24]

Accolades

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.[25] Lionsgate Films also chose to concentrate on promoting Christie in its Academy Award campaigning.[26]

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref(s)
Academy Awards 24 February 2008 Best Actress Julie Christie Nominated [27]
Best Adapted Screenplay Sarah Polley Nominated
BAFTA Awards 10 February 2008 Best Actress Julie Christie Nominated [28]
Boston Society of Film Critics 11 December 2007 Best Actress Runner-up [29]
Broadcast Film Critics Association 7 January 2008 Best Actress Won [30]
Directors Guild of Canada 2007 Best Feature Film Sarah Polley Won [31]
Best Direction Won
Best Picture Editing David Wharnsby Won
Best Production Design Kathleen Climie Nominated
Best Sound Editing Jane Tattersall, Barry Gilmore, Kathy Choi, David McCallum, Sue Conley and David Rose Nominated
Genie Awards 3 March 2008 Best Motion Picture Daniel Iron, Simone Urdl and Jennifer Weiss Won [32][33]
Best Direction Sarah Polley Won
Best Actor Gordon Pinsent Won
Best Actress Julie Christie Won
Best Supporting Actress Kristen Thomson Won
Best Adapted Screenplay Sarah Polley Won
Best Editing David Wharnsby Nominated
Claude Jutra Award Sarah Polley Won
Golden Globes 13 January 2008 Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama Julie Christie Won [34]
Los Angeles Film Critics Association 9 December 2007 New Generation Award Sarah Polley Won [35]
National Board of Review 15 January 2008 Best Actress Julie Christie Won [36]
Top Independent Films Away From Her Won
National Society of Film Critics 5 January 2008 Best Actress Julie Christie Won [37]
New York Film Critics Circle 6 January 2008 Best Actress Won [38]
Best First Film Sarah Polley Won
New York Film Critics Online 2007 Best Actress Julie Christie Won [35]
Best Directorial Debut Sarah Polley Won
Screen Actors Guild 27 January 2008 Outstanding Female Actor Julie Christie Won [39]
Toronto Film Critics Association 18 December 2007 Best Canadian Film Away From Her Won [40]
Best Actor Gordon Pinsent Runner-up
Best Actress Julie Christie Won
Best First Feature Sarah Polley Won
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association 10 December 2007 Best Actress Julie Christie Won [35]
Writers Guild of Canada April 2007 Best Feature Film Sarah Polley Won [41]

Criticism on the adaptation

Other
  • Demetrios Matheou, "Not Remembering to Forget", in: Sight and Sound, 2007 May; 17 (5): 12. (Interview)
  • Danny Munso, "Away from Her", in: Creative Screenwriting, 2007 Mar–Apr; 14 (2): 30.

References
  1. "Away from Her (2007)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  2. Johnson, Brian D. (11 September 2006). "A star is reborn, behind the camera". Maclean's. Vol. 119. pp. 66–67.
  3. "Sarah Polley to direct her first feature film, based on Alice Munro story". The Canadian Press. 21 February 2006.
  4. Goodman, Lee-Anne (30 August 2006). "Polley swaps acting for writing/directing in adaptation of Munro story". The Canadian Press.
  5. Elliott, Lianne (25 March 2006). "On Location At Freeport; Julie Christie, Gordon Pinsent, Sarah Polley In Kitchener To Make Movie About Alzheimer's". The Record. p. C1.
  6. Dixon, Guy (8 June 2007). "Away from Her tops $1-million mark". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 4 April 2007.
  7. Papamichael, Stella (24 April 2007). "Away From Her (2007)". BBC. Retrieved 4 April 2007.
  8. Schwarzbaum, Lisa (7 May 2007). "Away From Her". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 4 April 2007.
  9. Riding, Alan (27 April 2007). "A Role About Winter for Julie Christie, a Star in Eternal Spring". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 April 2007.
  10. "Polley electrifies in directing debut". The Montreal Gazette. 14 September 2007.
  11. "Away From Her first to earn $1 million at home this year". Winnipeg Free Press. 8 June 2007. p. d2.
  12. "Away from Her - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on 3 January 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-06.
  13. "Away from Her (2007): Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 17 January 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-06.
  14. Ahearn, Victoria (12 December 2006). "Polley's 'Away From Her' makes list of Top 10 Canadian films of 2006". The Canadian Press.
  15. "Sarah Polley: Away From Her". The Globe and Mail (Ontario ed.). 24 March 2006.
  16. Pevere, Geoff (4 May 2007). "'Away From Her': A marriage adrift". The Toronto Star. Retrieved 4 April 2007.
  17. Ebert, Roger (11 October 2007). "Away From Her". Rogerebert.com. Retrieved 4 April 2007.
  18. Bradshaw, Peter (27 April 2007). "Away From Her". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 April 2007.
  19. Calhoun, Dave (24 April 2007). "Away From Her". Time Out. Retrieved 4 April 2007.
  20. Harvey, Dennis (30 April 2007). "Review: 'Away From Her'". Variety. Retrieved 4 April 2007.
  21. "Metacritic: 2007 Film Critic Top Ten Lists". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 2008-01-02. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
  22. "Away from her best Drama of 2007". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on January 28, 2008.
  23. David Germain; Christy Lemire (2007-12-27). "'No Country for Old Men' earns nod from AP critics". Associated Press, via Columbia Daily Tribune. Archived from the original on 2008-01-03. Retrieved 2007-12-31.
  24. Roger Ebert (2007-12-20). "The year's ten best films and other shenanigans". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on 24 December 2007. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
  25. Germain, David (12 December 2007). "Too good for her own good". Boston Globe. Retrieved 4 April 2007.
  26. Johnson, Brian D. (7 May 2007). "Goodbye to that jagged little pill". Maclean's. Vol. 120 no. 17. p. 69.
  27. "Nominees - 80th Annual Academy Awards". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on 2008-01-23. Retrieved 2008-01-22.
  28. "Leading Actress in 2008". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Retrieved 3 April 2007.
  29. Morris, Wesley (10 December 2007). "'No Country,' 'Diving Bell' are favorites of Boston film critics". Boston Globe. Retrieved 3 April 2007.
  30. King, Susan (9 January 2008). "No Country Is The Critical Choice". The Hamilton Spectator. p. G15.
  31. N.A. (1 October 2007). "Away From Her Gets Directors' Guild Nod For Best Picture". The Record. p. C1.
  32. McCrank, John (2008-03-04). ""Away From Her" dominates Canada's Genie Awards". Reuters. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
  33. Philip Marchand (2008-03-04). "Away From Her tops Genies". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 5 March 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
  34. "65th Golden Globe Awards Nominations & Winners". goldenglobes.org. Archived from the original on 13 December 2007. Retrieved 2008-01-13.
  35. N.A. (27 December 2007). "Oscar Contenders: And What They've Done So Far". The Record. p. F17.
  36. "2007 Award Winners". National Board of Review. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
  37. "National Society of Film Critics honours 'There Will Be Blood'". The Canadian Press. 5 January 2008.
  38. "2007 New York Film Critics Circle winners". USA Today. 7 January 2008. p. 03d.
  39. "Final 14th Annual SAG Awards Recipient Press Release". Screen Actors Guild. 2008-01-27. Archived from the original on May 9, 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-27.
  40. Goodman, Lee-Anne (20 December 2007). "No Country, Away From Her Toronto critics' top '07 choices". Winnipeg Free Press. p. d5.
  41. "Away from Her, Afghanada earn scriptwriting awards". CBC News. 24 April 2007. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
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