It's a drama about the impact of Alzheimer's on a retired couple living in Brant County, Ontario, Canada, in 2003. Grant (Gordon Pinsent) is a retired university professor who married a young 18-year-old student, Fiona (Julie Christie), over 40 years ago. Fiona is displaying symptoms of early-onset Alzheimer's even though she's only about 60. As her behavior becomes more erratic, she decides to check herself into the Meadowbrook Nursing Home, which cares for people with dementia at various stages. Grant resists but finally agrees.
At the nursing home, they deal with Madeleine (Wendy Crewson), the officious administrator, and Kristy (Kristen Thomson), one of the nurses. The home has a rule that a new dementia patient has no visitors for the first 30 days, including family, ostensibly to assist the patient in adjusting to the new environment. When Grant finally visits after 30 days, he discovers Fiona has developed an intense attachment to Aubrey (Michael Murphy), a mute resident, and treats Grant almost as a stranger.
The film follows Grant's efforts to deal with this emotional morass, which includes interacting with Aubrey's wife, Marian (Olympia Dukakis). The movie has an inconclusive ending.
The story and the characters are generally outstanding, especially Pinsent and Christie. I found the Crewson and Thomson characters less believable, as the nursing home staff made no effort to reinforce Fiona's memory with things like photographs. The 30-day no-visit rule also stretched real life. But "Away from Her" is a well-done movie by a then-young Canadian filmmaker, Sarah Polley.
At the nursing home, they deal with Madeleine (Wendy Crewson), the officious administrator, and Kristy (Kristen Thomson), one of the nurses. The home has a rule that a new dementia patient has no visitors for the first 30 days, including family, ostensibly to assist the patient in adjusting to the new environment. When Grant finally visits after 30 days, he discovers Fiona has developed an intense attachment to Aubrey (Michael Murphy), a mute resident, and treats Grant almost as a stranger.
The film follows Grant's efforts to deal with this emotional morass, which includes interacting with Aubrey's wife, Marian (Olympia Dukakis). The movie has an inconclusive ending.
The story and the characters are generally outstanding, especially Pinsent and Christie. I found the Crewson and Thomson characters less believable, as the nursing home staff made no effort to reinforce Fiona's memory with things like photographs. The 30-day no-visit rule also stretched real life. But "Away from Her" is a well-done movie by a then-young Canadian filmmaker, Sarah Polley.