Away From Her (2006)

Want to see it?

Seen it?

0
1
2
3
4
5
Rate this movie.

Buy it now on DVD

Starting at $14.70

Want to buy it?

Write a review

Discuss it

Add to lists

Recommend it

Get recommendations

Watch trailer

Directed by Sarah Polley.

Starring Julie Christie, Olympia Dukakis, Michael Murphy, Gordon Pinsent, Kristen Thomson.

Watch trailer

Filmmaker Atom Egoyan - a longtime onscreen collaborator with the gifted young thesp Sarah Polley (The Sweet Hereafter) - executive-produced Polley's directorial debut, Away from Her, starring Julie Christie, Olympia Dukakis, Michael Murphy and Wendy Crewson. Adapted by Polley from a short story by Alice Munro, this small-scaled two-character drama concerns Grant (Gordon Pinsent) and Fiona (Christie), a long-married couple, well into their golden years, who are much in love and connected to one another on every level. 'Soulmates' in the purest sense of the word, the two feel a sense of ease and tranquility in their rural home. But when Fiona's memory begins to slip away and she insists on being taken to a rest home, the decision stirs up torrents of guilt and regret in Grant's heart. The rules of the center only complicate matters, as they forbid visitation and communication with Fiona for an interminable period of time. He determines to support his wife at all costs, even if must happen at the expense of his own peace of mind. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

[more]

Reviews and discussions

Re:Top 5 movies directed by an ...
by leeroy711 in Top 5

hasn't rated it.

"quote:"I'm having some difficulty actually deciding if some people qualify or not.Certainly Orson Welles, if he was not already often in contention for the greatest director of all time would have been well known as one of the greatest actors.Roman Polanski is surely more well known as a director, but has done just as much acting, and was an actor before being a director. The same with Vittorio De Sica.Many comedians are just as recognizable as actors, writers, and directors. Often doing all roles in the same film. Think of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. Or Jaques Tati. Today think of Mel Brooks, Harold Ramis, Christopher Guest. Terry Jones??Also many kung fu stars. Jackie Chan, Stephen Chow, Sammo Hung.And what about classical actors where, acting is clearly where they are most recognized, but they are also renown in directing of theatre and film. A production directed by Lawrence Olivier or Kenneth Branagh is surely not an anomaly."Yeah, I was kinda thinking along ... " [More]

Away from Her
by JimBell in JimBell Blog

liked it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"Away from Her (2006) is a superior film, but it left me with some critical questions. The serious and thought-provoking theme is supported by solid acting. While Julie Christy, as the wife with Alzheimer’s (Fiona), was nominated for an Oscar, and while Gordon Pinsent, as her distraught husband (Grant), won an ACTRA for Outstanding Performance, I thought the best work came from Kristen Thomson, the nurse at the Alzheimer’s facility. In contrast to a woman whose deteriorating mind makes her distant, a husband who is trying to be stoical, and an unemotional administrator who keeps an Alzheimer’s institution running efficiently, Thomson’s nurse is full of life—warm, concerned, a little troubled, a little pushy—quite a complex character for so little time on screen. Thomson’s character brings up a sub-theme which left me asking whether Grant got a fair shake. When Fiona entered an Alzheimer’s facility, Grant was forbidden to visit for 30 ... " [More]

Come drink my milkshake: This y ...
by usesoap in usesoap Blog

hasn't rated it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"Even though the writers have apparently settled on a deal to end the strike, there is still a great deal to fear on the Oscar broadcast set for Feb. 24, that can be summed up in three simple words (two if you hyphenate correctly):Oscar-winner 'Norbit'.That's right. While many wrestle with the fact that their favorite films have been left off the nominee list (I understand, though don't agree with, the love-fest called Juno, but even my friends who are the most ardent supporters of the film agree that it has no place in the Best Picture and Best Director category) a film that was universally loathed like 'Norbit' has a shot at earning the most coveted trophies in the biz.Here to give you an edge on the office ballots, I have opted to fill this column with a handy guide to this year's nominees, chock-full of winner predictions. (Plus, you can check out some of the shorts on your computer, links provided, free of charge. You're welcome!)Best picture&ldq ... " [More]

Reaping Screwfly Solution Away ...
by dibot in dibot Blog

liked it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"Well, I really wanted to see The Reaping because I love rivers of blood and biblical plagues. And Hilary Swank ("P.S. I Love You"). And the film had all three of those things. Sometimes atmospherically creepy and sometimes jump scary, the plot was just a bit too thin. Swank plays a professor who specializes in debunking religious mysteries. She's called in to investigate what seems to be a series of biblical plagues affecting a small town. She has a past of a terrible event where she lost her faith. Stephen Rea ("Stuck") is a priest and former friend who tires to warn her she's in danger. Though some of this is pretty cool, I could see where it was going before it went there.For Christmas, my husband got me Masters of Horror: Joe Dante - The Screwfly Solution as a companion piece to Season 3 of 90210, both staring the fabulous Jason Priestley ("Made in Brooklyn"). I had not watched any of the Masters of Horror series before, and so I wasn't ... " [More]

Re:Predictions and Commentary, ...
by pippin06 in It's a Wonderful Night for Oscar!

hasn't rated it.

"Here is some commentary on surprises and snubs. A week late, but I have some time here and now.In the Best Actor category, the surprise nomination is Tommy Lee Jones for In the Valley of Elah. He has not previously been nominated for any similar awards. Surprising omission? A long shot, but better than Jones was Ryan Gosling for Lars and the Real Girl; he's received several nominations (and no wins) to date. I think prediction-wise, though, you best be looking at Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood. He's swept them all so far.In the Supporting Actor category, there are no real surprises or snubs. (Think Javier Bardem for No Country for Old Men come the big day, though).In the Best Actress category, a surprise nomination for Laura Linney for The Savages (she's had no love up until now). There are no real snubs, though, because the win will probably without doubt go to Julie Christie for Away From Her, with the other four nominations acting sort of like wild- ... " [More]

The 10 Best Films of 2007
by The1TheOnlyJP in The Paxton Log

is neutral about it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"Hello, my name is JP Paxton and I love movies. What began in mid 2004 has since became my uncontrollable obsession that can now be considered nothing less than an incurable sickness. Seriously, I probably think of a movie or something movie-related once every ten seconds. Because of this, I am propelled to constantly see, write & talk about movies. Those of you who are my friends or at least know of me already know this. For the ones that don't, now you know. Here it is New Year's Eve which means that yet another year has passed. Of course though that also means I'm here to let you all know what films I consider the best of 2007. This year certainly had its share of disappointments including but not limited to 'Bee Movie', 'Underdog' & 'Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium.' I still can't recall what made me even think 'Underdog' might have possibly had a shot at being even half-decent. With the bad though there's ... " [More]

Re: Unlikely Double Features
by joem18b in Double Feature

hasn't rated it.

"First time I watched The Seventh Seal (1957), I was sooooo depressed. So I figure, why not follow it with Little Nicky (2000)?The Illusionist (ho hum) or The Prestige (ho hum) and The Magician (Bergman magic)Old and then young. Always cheers me up:Julie Christie - Away from Her and DarlingKatherine Hepburn - Long Day's Journey into Night and Little WomenClint Eastwood - Million Dollar Baby and Revenge of the Creature...and btw, the double feature is dead, but surfing at the Metroplex is alive and well. A bit of POTC, Harry Potter, Chuck and Larry, and Transformers, and then the full Live Free or Die, and then a little Hairspray and Ratatouille and back to work... nothing better... And finally, my most enjoyable double-feature experience: slipping out of work, 1982, over to AMC. Me and two other patrons distributed maximally throughout the theater for Conan the Barbarian and Road Warrior, with a giant coke and popcorn. " [More]

Hollywood Tackles Iraq: Trade R ...
by SpoutBlog in SpoutBlog on spout.com

hasn't rated it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"***Director Kathryn Bigelow has cemented a cast for The Hurt Locker, which is, as far as I can tell, the first film by a major Hollywood director to be set in present day Iraq. The film was scripted by journalist Mark Boal, who spent time embedded with a bomb squad. He tells The Hollywood Reporter: "We wanted to show the kinds of things that soldiers go through that you can't see on CNN, and I don't mean that in a censorship-conspiracy way. I just mean the news doesn't actually put photographers in with units that are this elite." ***Variety's Brain Lowry watched I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry so that you never, ever have to. And though he concedes that "Sandler's fans should enjoy hearing him toss off lines about being 'big-time fruits' or having 'boarded the dude train'," ultimately "it will be slightly depressing if a barrage of schoolyard gay jokes passes for 'edgy' a quarter-century after Victor/Victoria." ***After the massive critical success of her feature directorial ... " [More]

away from her
by wonga in wonga's filmblog

liked it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"hard to believe this is a debut movie for this director (Sarah Polley), who is also a pretty good actress! a story about someone who has Alzheimer's doesn't sound like a good time but it really is a beautiful and wise movie. it's not a disease-of-the-week movie but instead is a love story, with universal themes about life and what's really important. the music and cinematography were beautiful and i loved the quiet slow way the story unfolded. the acting was exceptional and i've already heard Julie Christie mentioned in oscar buzz but i was the most impressed by the man who played her husband (Gordon Pinsent). " [More]

Review by All Movie Guide

All Movie Guide

liked it.

Away From Her, Sarah Polley's deliberately paced, poignantly observed tale of how Alzheimer's disease affects a long-married couple, is filled to overflowing with remarkable acting. This is a quiet film that deals with very large emotions, but plays them very small. As Grant, (Gordon Pinsett) carries the hefty emotional weight of the film. The devotion he feels for his wife, combined with the anger he feels over her disease, and the guilt he has accumulated for his occasionally less than stellar behavior as a husband are all communicated in subtle shifts of his face over the course of the movie. It is a haunting performance that is both detailed and deceptively natural. By the end of the film, the audience knows him, warts and all, as well as his wife did. Julie Christie plays the wife, and her performance is a technical marvel. She has just a little bit of time in the beginning of the movie for us to understand why this woman is so loved by Grant, and then she must slowly slip into varying levels of dementia. There are no screaming fits, or crying jags. She just slowly and steadily fails to recognize common things, until those things include her husband and her love for him. Christie is always referred to as a beauty, and while this is most certainly still the case, Away From Her reminds anyone who had forgotten that she is a formidable actress. The film's overwhelmingly emotional ending sneaks up on the viewer because of the director's trust in her actors and the material. Great actors must be empathetic, and Sarah Polley, though still a young woman, was already one of the best actresses of her generation when she made this movie. Away from Her, Polley's directorial debut, exhibits patience and empathy that indicate a remarkable career behind the camera may be in store for her should she wish to follow that muse. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Tags: aging , love , romance , drama , depressing
View all