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, unnamable 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.

Directed by
Sarah Polley

Cast
Julie Christie - Fiona
Michael Murphy - Aubrey
Gordon Pinsent - Grant
Olympia Dukakis - Marian
Kristen Thomson - Kristy
Wendy Crewson - Madeleine
Alberta Watson - Dr. Fischer
Thomas Hauff - William Hart

Production Co.
Victorious Films
Pulling Focus Pictures
Film Farm
Foundry Films

Produced by
Atom Egoyan
Douglas Mankoff
Daniel Iron

Studio
Lionsgate

Writer
Alice Munro
Sarah Polley

Music
Jonathan Goldsmith