Not Approved

Away from Her

"Away From Her" is the lyrical screenplay adaptation of celebrated author Alice Munro's short story "The Bear Came Over the Mountain." A beautifully moving love story that deals with memory and the circuitous, unnameable paths of a long marriage. Married for almost 50 years, Grant (Gordon Pinsent) and Fiona's (Julie Christie) commitment to each other appears unwavering, and their everyday life is full of tenderness and humor. This serenity is broken only by the occasional, carefully restrained reference to the past, giving a sense that this marriage may not always have been such a fairy tale. This tendency of Fiona's to make such references, along with her increasingly evident memory loss, creates a tension that is usually brushed off casually by both of them. As the lapses become more obvious and dramatic, it is no longer possible for either of them to ignore the fact that Fiona is suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
11
Negative Rating
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SexLanguageViolenceDrugsNudityOther
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Positive Rating
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FaithIntegrity

Dove Review

This film is a moving psychological drama in which a husband and wife, married for forty four years, must learn to let go of one another after the wife is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. The film includes strong performances from both Julie Christie as Fiona, and Gordon Pinsent as Grant.

From the beginning of the film, when Fiona places a frying pan into the freezer to the last shot of the movie, the film encompasses a wide range of emotions. This includes the feeling of loss when Grant places Fiona into a care facility, to which she has agreed to, to seeing her become friendly with a male resident. The brief times her memory is illuminated is as painful as it is welcome. Unfortunately, the film has two strong profanities and a night of adultery between two characters, and therefore cannot received our Dove-Family Approved Seal.

Dove Rating Details

0
Faith

None

0
Integrity

None

3
Sex

A married couple make love-they are seen lying in bed together; an unmarried couple spend the night together.

4
Language

F-2

0
Violence

None

2
Drugs

Brief smoking and wine is consumed.

1
Nudity

Mild cleavage.

1
Other

The talk of the husband having once been unfaithful in the past; the difficulties of dealing with Alzheimer's.

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