User Reviews

I was easily able to empathize with this movie and especially our lead Craig Morrison (James Cromwell) as you grow older, your abilities start to slowly wane, and you want one last chance at glory. Craig's plight is much more about glory. He is fighting to keep the relationship with his wife, and avoid suggestions from his kids to put her in a home (Bujold) despite her early signs of Dementia. This movie hit me on so many emotional levels. Not only did I care about the fate of Craig & Irene, but I became truly angry at how Craig was being belittled by the bureaucracy for such a minor thing, like not following all the rules, despite that the house is perfectly safe, and Craig knows exactly what he's doing. His battle of handling his wife's slow descent into Dementia was also heart wrenching to watch. I felt the children of the Morrison's were a bit selfish at first, but as the movie went along, they grew on me, and I understood them more. Cromwell & Bujold are absolutely magnificent together, and their relationship is one of the most enjoyable I have seen in eons. It was genuine, and it didn't feel contrived in the slightest. James is an ordinary man, and one we can all sympathize with. He's a good man, and you'll be rooting for him all the way. He's a man passionate about his beliefs, and his wife. I give all the credit to James Cromwell's fantastic performance. He's always been a great character actor, but never has he shined like this. He conveyed his emotions perfectly. Geneviève Bujold is equally as good as Cromwell. She is utterly phenomenal as a woman slowly losing her way, due to dementia. I feared her, but felt for her at the same time. She's always been a great actress, and this is one that will be talked about for some time. Jonathan Potts is great as the unlikable bureaucrat.

Final Thoughts: It's just a wonderful film, and one not talked about nearly enough for my liking. As a Canadian, I am proud of how good this movie is. Any one should be able to get into it. It's a very moving film

8.7/10

Agree with other reviews here, there must be a ratings error. I see a lot of films for work and for pleasure and Still Mine is one of the best I've seen in the last couple of years.

No, you won't get CGI, explosions and budding romance from this film. It's from an emerging genre - films for oldies - think Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (which I loved), Quartet (which I didn't) and Amour, to which it has been compared.

Except to say, it's a compelling story, tightly written, with exceptional performances, which should interest most people, of any age, as long as you don't solely crave superhero sequels.

On one hand, this is a tale, based on a true story, of the short-sightedness of bureaucracy. Who hasn't fought red tape, at some point in their lives? On another, it's about trusting each other and allowing those with fading powers to live the life they want to live for as long as possible.

Still Mine is an example of why sometimes laws and rules can mean a lost of freedom.

The good. Compelling and touching story. Well built scenario. Nice photography. All together, a solid film.

The actors. The whole cast gave a spot on performance, but James Cromwell shows himself as a true star here with a very attaching character.

The bad. Most of the plot elements have been seen many times in different forms over the years. Even though the mix is unique, you get an overall sense of déjà vu.

The ugly. Nothing.

The result. A simple tale that can resonate with anybody. Don't expect action or great drama, and you'll be pleasantly entertained.

I was shocked to see the low rating this film has received here. It is a brilliant flick that left everyone in the packed audience on the verge of tears. The film, based on a true story, is a about a man who sets to building a home that is suitable for his wife with early signs of dementia. An independent sort, he mills his own lumber and builds the home to the exacting standards he learned from his father. He soon runs afoul of the county building inspector. The sterling performance of James Cromwell is one that will echo with you for weeks after viewing. Bujold's disjointed performance perfectly captures the supreme loss of dementia, a silent invader that steals the self. Not in any way smarmy but perhaps suited to an older viewer.

what a pleasure it was to view this movie. i picked it as the best of a bad bunch to go and see on a rainy day. what a great and pleasant surprise to sit through such a thoughtful and well made movie. a brilliant script delivered by two great lead actors who were supported by a very strong cast. it is such a long time that i have been moved to tears by a performance and an even longer time that i have found a movie to be totally believable due to the actors work.

the simple plot was well developed and allowed for some unexpected twists and pleasant surprises along with some intense moments of personal angst.

well done to the actors and makers of this hidden gem.

"Still Mine" is not a movie that's going to win any awards for excitement, so if that's the basis on which you judge a movie, then it will disappoint. But there's more to a movie than "excitement." There's thoughtfulness and sensitivity - and, of course, there are the performances.

"Still Mine" is a thoughtful and sensitive Canadian-made movie, based on the true story of Craig Morrison and his wife Irene, played in the movie by James Cromwell and Genevieve Bujold. It's in many ways a gentle and slow-paced movie that combines two generally unrelated subject matters: growing old, and fighting the bureaucracy. Irene has dementia, and is gradually losing her memory. To keep her safe, Craig decides to build a new house, but gets into trouble with local building inspectors in a small town in New Brunswick, who issue a stop work order until he agrees to do things their way. Craig knows what he's doing, and the house he's building is perfectly safe, but the bureaucracy only sees that he hasn't followed all the rules. Meanwhile, as Craig battles the bureaucracy, he also deals with Irene's decline - most often sensitively and lovingly, but sometimes - and understandably - getting overwhelmed and lashing out at her.

The performances from Cromwell and Bujold were very good, and Cromwell won a Canadian Screen Award (sort of the Canadian version of an Oscar) as Best Actor for his performance. They brought their characters to life, and as a viewer you cared about Craig and Irene.

No. This isn't an exciting movie. But if a movie that's touching and sensitive appeals to you, "Still Mine" is definitely worth watching. (7/10)

I remember reading in the Globe & Mail in the fall of 2010 about the people and events on which the screenplay of STILL was written by Michael McGowan and was delighted to see the story come to the screen less than two years later. It is so refreshing to see an honest film with no gimmicks. Produced with a budget of just $3M, filmed in northern Ontario and New Brunswick, it is a delight. It isn't easy to deal with the topic of dementia but McGowan handles it gracefully, with gentle humour and respect. Geneviève Bujold and James Cromwell give outstanding performances. It is a heartwarming story for sure, and garnered much applause from the audience.

Craig Morrison (James Cromwell) is an old self-reliant New Brunswick farmer. He has 2000 acres where he does a little farmer. However he can't keep his cattle and the strawberry buyer won't buy his strawberries unless he has a refrigerated truck because of corporate policy. His wife Irene Morrison (Geneviève Bujold) is slowly degenerating. He decides to build a house with easier access for her and promises her that they won't move until they have to. Ruth (Julie Stewart) and John (Rick Roberts) are two of their many kids and they are concerned. It is harder and harder to care for Irene. Craig tries to build the house by himself but an overzealous bureaucrat keeps stopping him. Eventually he is in danger of prison for all the building code violations he's been accessed.

James Cromwell is one of the most powerful actors around. He is amazing in this. Geneviève Bujold also shows so much power. It is based on a true story, and that realism permeates the entire movie. The story is a little bit small at times, but it never loses its human size story. This is above all a movie built on Cromwell's kind persona. I do wish they picked a better title. It's just too stridden and doesn't fit the love story at the heart of the movie.

How could 43 out of 57 reviewers rate this movie 8 or higher and yet produce a cumulative score of only 4.8? Still Mine was the SF Cinema Club's selection yesterday. Not a dry eye in the theater (though I swear mine was allergies). It's Amour with feeling, and a Canadian sensibility, i.e., more like Away from Her, the other Canadian film that deals with aging and dementia, than the steely, unsentimental Amour. Cromwell is gigantic. Is there any other male actor of his age who says more with less? And Campbell Scott proves what they say about no small roles, only small actors. His is minor--but flawless in its understatement. This movie may not crack the big time, but that in no way should diminish its beauty, power, and lasting impact on those who seek it out.

"We're still here, we have each other and isn't everything else a bonus?" Craig (Cromwell) and his wife Irene (Bujold) are in their 80's and beginning to feel it. Craig is being hit with new regulations on his farm and is unable to adapt as fast as he needs and Irene is beginning to show signs of dementia. Rather then admit they need to enter a home Craig decides to build a new home on their land that is smaller and easier for them to manage. Once again Craig is hit with new regulations that hinder his process but some things are harder to break then laws. Going in my first thought was...an old guy building a house, sounds exciting. It didn't take long at all for me to realize how wrong I was. The movie is filled with heart and the roadblocks Craig has to go through make you want to throw something at the screen. The fact that this is a true story makes it that much more touching. Overall, much much better then I expected, if you liked Amour you will like this as well. I really enjoyed this much more then expected. I give this a B+.

Based on a true story, an elderly couple in rural New Brunswick faces difficulty when the woman's mental and physical health declines. Her husband tries to build a more accommodating house on their large property but faces resistance from bureaucratic nincompoops.

This film fits well with other recent films in dealing with elderly health decline. The best of these examples include "Amour" and "Away From Her" (also Canadian, coincidentally). "Still Mine" can also be praised for exposing other difficulties for the elderly: people who knew simpler times when they could get on with their business without all the bureaucratic interventions that are part of the modern world. This is also exposed with another issue before the trouble the couple face in trying to build the new house.

Indeed, the film is one-sided this way but it has so much charm and warmth in exposing rural life including the archetypal small-town busybody. Its greatest strength is in the sweet performances of James Cromwell and Geneviève Bujold in the lead roles.

STILL MINE It's funny, that for all the hubub about liberalism in Hollywood, some of the greatest achievements in cinema have been decidedly libertarian. From Chaplin's "Modern Times" to Nicholson's McMurtry in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" we have watched our heroes adhere to their own personal codes, battle against the inherent dehumanizing repression of the institutions we create, ostensibly to serve the public good. Our heroes don't always win,but it always makes compelling drama.

Comes now to this cinematic tradition is the Canadian production "Still Mine" written, produced and directed by Michael McGowan which is shot in New Brunswick where the actual events on which this story is based,took place.

Craig Morrison (James Cromwell) is a remarkably robust octogenarian. Irene (Genevieve Bujold)his wife of sixty years is sinking into that long, slow descent toward the abyss that is dementia/Alzheimer's. Craig decides that their old house is clearly unsuitable for Irene as she declines,so he decides to build a new, smaller house, on their own land, and by his own hand, since they don't have the money to hire a contractor.

Craig embarks on his project with considerable enthusiasm, but that is soon overwhelmed by the local building code bureaucrat Rick Daigle(Jonathan Potts) who buries Craig with permits, plans, standards, and regulations. He intends to enforce those codes with the soulless tenacity of Les Miserable's Javert.

If Craig does not correct and comply with all the violations cited (26 I believe) Daigle tells Craig that he will bulldoze the house.

"Is that a threat," says Craig

"No," says Daigle with a chilling bureaucratic assuredness, "it's the law."

As Craig fights, haggles, and cajoles the powers that be; Craig and their grown children must watch and endure as they see their wife and mother slip ever farther away from them. This is not a dysfunctional family, it is a very close family in a community full of friends and neighbors. However, that doesn't mean there are no conflicts, tensions and angst as together they face the difficult circumstances and decisions that lie ahead.

Those of us who saw Bujold those many years ago in "Ann of a Thousand Days", remember, aside from her obvious beauty, those expressive eyes. Now well into her 70's without a hint of plastic surgery, she still projects the powerful inner strength that is so critical to this character; as she faces the certainty of a bleak future while still maintaining the mental wherewithal to cherish the moments she still has left. It is through those eyes that we will see the anger, the frustration, and the fear of the oncoming oblivion, but we will also see the loyalty and the love she has for her friends, her family and most of all her husband.

James Cromwell has become something of a national treasure with movies like "The Artist", "LA Confidential" and "Babe"; TV shows like "ER" and "The West Wing", the list is truly astonishing. I remember him in a commercial where he played a Marine gunnery sergeant. He looks down (he's 6'7") at some nerdy little dude and says "Were you ever in the Corps?" The nerdy dude says "no", and with the confident arrogance of veteran Corps drill instructor Cromwell says "I didn't think so." I don't remember the product, but I remember him. He has that kind of presence and it is well used here.

I was struck when I walked into the theater by the possibility that I may have been the youngest guy in there, and I assure you that I am not a young man. I hope that despite the obvious tag lines that go with this movie, that this doesn't become known as a geezer flick, because it is much more than that.

I can't remember a movie that affected me more emotionally. It is true, as they say, I have some skin in this game, as I am growing older and I watched my own mother ravaged by this cruel and unjust disease. When Irene cries out, "What if I forget everything!? " My lips mouthed the words, "You will, you will." So it was pretty close to home, and some viewers may not have as strong a reaction as I did, but I can tell you that the audience I sat with was greatly moved.

Nevertheless, as we inexorably march toward the curing of societal ills with institutional remedy; we give scant notice to the corresponding loss of liberty, freedom, individuality, and our identity. Key elements all, in making the decisions and choices that are best for ourselves. Or they could be the worst for ourselves, but that is of no matter, the important thing is that they are our choices. Craig and the whole Morrison clan are an inspiration to remember that in times of trouble or crisis our most reliable ally to carry us through will be the faith we have in ourselves to call on our own inner strength.

On occasions supporting actors carry the weight of the movie. James Cromwell is the perfect example of this. After decades of being a supporting actor, Cromwell does 'Still Mine' as his first movie in a lead role. It was long due for him to be the star of a film. No only he does a marvelous job playing Craig Morrisson but also stars Genevieve Bujold as Cromwell's wife. This two awesome actors play an elder couple who want and start to build a house against local authorities laws. Never a dull moment throughout the movie, and totally worth the while. It will take you on a journey of watching an elder man take care of his wife and do whatever he has to, so she is comfortable for the remain of her days

Watch this and find out! The lead actors playing the elderly couple are extraordinary. Not only about what marriage used to mean, commitment and deep intimacy and complimentary gender roles, And how well so many men and women used to work together on their own for survival. But also a profound and clear picture of what we are losing in society, independence, personal responsibility, self growth, creativity and the satisfaction of knowing yourself and doing things on your own. And how it is nearly impossible or even illegal to live that way today. A journey back when D.I.Y a necessity not a luxury. And all of it without some need to believe some hocus pocus Love commitment and personal self security based on your ability to actually do things for yourself. Almost lost nowadays.

Still Mine is an appealing film with great heart that is highlighted by a wonderful performance by James Cromwell as an ageing family man who is caught up in a battle with the local bureaucracy when he tries to build a new house for himself and his wife. Filmed in the New Brunswick town of St. Martin's as well as locations in Ontario, I found the characters of the man and his wife, Irene, played superbly by Genevieve Bujold, to be honest and even inspirational. Cromwell's character, Craig Morrison, was totally devoted to his wife and in building a new house for use in their advancing years, he took on a job few men of 87 would even consider. In doing so, he found his dedication to quality questioned by the local authorities who wanted lumber, for example, stamped to signify proper building codes. The fact that his own lumber surpassed the codes in many cases did not meet the letter of the law. Cromwell found himself under a great strain trying to deal with his wife's dementia and the expectations of his family, while battling the authorities. The two leading characters had great affection for one another and it was very moving to witness the attraction they felt and the love they shared. The supporting acting was generally good with family friends, Margaret and Chester, middle-aged children, Ruth and John, and the attorney, Gary, who didn't bill his client and in return, was granted a parcel of land by the generous farmer. Films about older couples seem to be trending upward in recent years; however, it is refreshing to see how elders perceive their lives and cope with a world that often treats them as an annoyance.

It's not uncommon for the titles of films to be changed when they are released in Australia and New Zealand – and no doubt elsewhere. The wonderful comedy Airplane! Starring Leslie Neilson is known as Flying High! in the Antipodes; the Lindy Chamberlain biopic A Cry in the Dark was released under the more sinister title of Evil Angels.

Sometimes it can be amusing when a film title is not changed. I read many years ago, without verification but quite believably, that the British distributors of the American film, Free Willy, implored its producers to change the name for British audiences, explaining the title could easily be misconstrued. The Americans weren't having a bar of it and insisted the original title be used. I recall sitting in theatres as the film was trailed. Audiences fell about laughing as the sententious voice-over intoned 'Free Willy will touch you; your heart will ache for Free Willy' or words to that effect.

Why the Canadian drama Still needed its name changed to Still Mine for Australian audiences is unclear.

Like so many films being released recently, we are told at its beginning that the film is 'based on a true story'. Quite what that phrase means, and the licence it gives to film-makers, is open to the widest interpretation. It is a specious use of language. It allows writer and director to re-frame events, dissemble, misrepresent people, and, if challenged on points of veracity, hide behind the fact that it was never claimed to be a truthful recall.

Still Mine follows the story of octogenarian Craig Morrison (James Cromwell) who decides to build a smaller home on his 200 acres for he and his wife Irene (Geneviève Bujold) as she slips ever further into dementia. He knows what he's doing but is unfamiliar with modern-day planning regulations and his plans and actions fail to satisfy building laws. He gets into a stoush with the local council, whose employees are all shown as heartless, uncompromising automatons, and eventually ends up in Court for failing to comply with Stop notices.

James Cromwell and Geneviève Bujold are both fine in their roles having to deliver some rather turgid dialogue on occasions. But overall the film is just too small-scale.

Direction from Michael McGowan, who also wrote the film, is uninspired. The film is set in rural New Brunswick yet it fails to give much sense of location. In telling such a minor story and putting it on the big screen, he really needed to draw the audience in. Had he interspersed low-key dramatic events with linking shots showing the magnitude of the land and the beauty of the changing seasons and ocean then the film would surely have been more suited to a cinema release. Yes I know it was never meant to be a travelogue. But as it stands, it simply has the feel of a hastily made TV movie of the 1970s with limited production values. The paying audience are entitled to more than this.

Somehow IMDb has calculated a score of only 7.1 for Still Mine. When I check that against Rotten Tomatoes, here is the surprising result: Professional Reviewers 93%, Audience 87%. The truth is much closer to the Rotten Tomatoes score than the IMDb score.

I won't repeat all the tributes given here by other reviewers. It's such a pleasure to see a film made with grown-ups in mind, a sensitive story based on real life and everyday occurrences. And, of course, you marvel at the outstanding acting of the main players.

It's hard to criticize the casting of James Cromwell in the lead role. He is magnificent. Yet in such a Canadian film--when his pride is confronted by narrow-minded bureaucrats, he never raises his voice, says "Have a good day" with just the lightest touch of sarcasm, does not burn down the house, or return to the government office with a shotgun--I had the niggling wish that the role had gone to a Canadian actor. Christopher Plummer might have been up for the job. But the thought of the job done by Cromwell makes such a reservation seem like a ridiculous, maybe narrow-minded quibble.

Listen to the score, too. It is quiet and subtle, very distinctive, at times haunting, sometimes sad, always barely at the threshold of your consciousness. I seem to remember much use of horns, but they are subdued, and set off against an unusual mix of other instruments.

Do see this film if you ever get the chance.

Freedom vs progressivism. Individualism vs collectivism. Common sense vs group think.