marriage drama directed
by : Sarah Polley featuring
: Julie Christie - Gordon Pinsent - Olympia Dukakis - Michael Murphy
- Kristen Thomson running
time : 1 hour 50 minutes
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.
