Movies of the Mind - Away From Her - Crippling Condition Collapses the Couple - 10/08/26
Aug, 10 2026
20 years ago a profoundly moving film was released that highlighted the sadness and loss of a person when they develop Alzheimer’s disease.
The 2006 film ‘Away from Her’ saw a marriage under fire when the wife shows signs of Alzheimer’s and is taken to a nursing home. The emotional pull hits you when her memories of her husband begin to fade and she starts a close relationship with a fellow resident in the nursing home.
The following trailer will give us a glimpse into this heart-breaking film –
Away from Her premiered at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival and the Berlin International Film Festival. It was theatrically released on May 4, 2007, and garnered critical acclaim, with critics praising Christie's performance and Polley's screenplay and direction.
Alzheimer’s disease is a very real condition and can affect not only the person suffering with it but loved ones, families and friends. It can take away the identity of the person and make them forget the very thing that kept them together.
For more information simply visit the following website link –
If you or someone you know has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease then this short film will provide six tips on how to manage behaviour changes with the condition –
A loved one may do some research into the condition so that they can support the person suffering with Alzheimer’s in a positive, more pro-active way. In the two decades since ‘Away from Her’ was released I can only imagine the increase of Alzheimer’s all around the world. It’s a troubling condition that sadly only worsens with time but thankfully there is help available from professional resources. You may find the following website link a great support –
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/dementia/care-and-support/help-and-support/
Film critics responded to the film with the following statement –
"An accomplished directorial debut by Sarah Polley, Away From Her is a touching exploration of the effects of Alzheimer's, in which the tender wisdom of Polley's script is beautifully complemented by a wonderful performance from Julie Christie".
Roger Ebert awarded it four stars, calling the greatest of the films about Alzheimer's of the early 21st century, and "a heartbreaking masterpiece". Peter Bradshaw, writing in The Guardian, found the film smart and said this is possibly Christie's greatest performance. Dave Calhoun of Time Out said the film stood out for the idea that Fiona's Alzheimer's is punishment for Gordon's adulteries.
Sarah Polley read the short story "The Bear Came Over the Mountain" in The New Yorker when she was on a flight from working on Hal Hartley's No Such Thing in Iceland. Polley claimed to be impressed by Alice Munro's piece, saying "I found it so moving and poignant and it went so deep in me". She also envisioned her No Such Thing co-star Julie Christie as Fiona.
Marking her directorial debut, Sarah Polley didn’t go into creating this film with no knowledge or awareness of Alzheimer’s. Her smart casting and research allowed her to hit a nerve with the audience knowing that she had found something that could resonate with a lot of people, either affected or a loved one that is a caring for someone with the condition. Sensitively done with a story designed to evoke, ‘Away from Her’ captured Alzheimer’s beautifully with enough emotion to pull at every heart string in your body.
^Alex Ashworth Director of Creativity
