Can a marriage survive when one partner forgets the other entirely?
In short: In Sarah Polley’s directorial debut, a retired couple faces the slow erasure of Alzheimer's. As the wife enters a facility and forms a new bond, her husband must confront his own past infidelities and decide if his wife’s happiness matters more than his own place in her memory.
Adapted from a short story by Alice Munro, the 2006 film follows Fiona and Grant, a couple in rural Ontario whose lives are upended by a dementia diagnosis. When Fiona moves into a nursing home, she is subjected to a mandatory 30-day isolation period intended to help patients adjust. Upon his return, Grant discovers his wife has forgotten their history and shifted her affection to a fellow resident named Aubrey.
The film explores complex emotional territory, as Grant grapples with the possibility that his wife’s condition might be a subconscious reaction to his past affairs as a university professor. His journey shifts from painful observation to selfless intervention when he witnesses Fiona’s decline after Aubrey is removed from the facility. Grant eventually orchestrates a reunion, leading to a fleeting but profound moment of recognition between the couple.
Sarah Polley, who transitioned from acting to directing with this project, spent seven months persuading Julie Christie to take the lead role. The production utilized the Grand River Hospital in Kitchener, Ontario, for its nursing home setting. Upon its 2007 release, the film earned widespread acclaim, including two Academy Award nominations and seven Genie Awards, with critics highlighting the nuanced performances of Christie and Gordon Pinsent.
The film’s success was both critical and commercial, grossing over $9 million worldwide. It stands as a significant exploration of love and loss, praised for its intelligence and emotional restraint. By focusing on the quiet, devastating realities of memory loss, the film challenges viewers to consider the nature of devotion when the person you love no longer recognizes you.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Away from Her
- Also: Wikidata — Away from Her · CC0
- Also: Wikidata — Away from Her · CC0
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