Away from Her (2006)

Away from Her (2006)

Bottomline: At its heart, this movie is a poignant love story that is deeply affecting.

Interested in a better movie dealing with the same theme? Pick up Iris (2001).

Interested in a terrific documentary series regarding Alzheimer's? Go to HBO's website, The Alzheimers Project (2009), at hbo.com/alzheimers.

Grant and Fiona Anderson have been married for 40+ years when she begins forgetting things and then getting confused and then getting lost. She has Alzheimer's and they face the tough decision of trying to keep her at home versus placing her in an institution designed to care for people suffering from Alzheimer's. She eventually is placed in the institution where she begins to care for and love another of the patients. Directed by Sarah Polley, Away From Her was nominated for two Academy Awards -- Julie Christie for Best Actress and Sarah Polley for Best Adapted Screenplay. I'll be honest. . .it was hard for me to watch this movie. My grandfather suffered from Alzheimer's and this movie brought all of those horrid memories rushing back. In addition, while deeply affecting and moving, the movie is incredibly plodding. Had it not been for the admirable work of Julie Christie and the welcome appearance of Olympia Dukakis, I'm not sure I could have finished this film. For my money, a better film taking on a similar topic would be Iris (2001) starring Dame Judi Dench, Jim Broadbent, Kate Winsley, and Hugh Bonneville.