--- title: "Away from Her" year: 2007 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/away-from-her" fi1m_id: "away-from-her" imdb_id: "tt0491747" tmdb_id: 1919 wikidata_id: "Q482652" fi1m_score: 82 critics_score: 78 critics_reviews: 15 published: "2026-10-01T19:41:08.602548+00:00" updated: "2026-10-01T19:41:09.170062+00:00" region: "CH" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Away from Her (2007) Directed by Sarah Polley · 1h 50m · CH 0 · Drama, Romance ## Identity Away from Her - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/away-from-her - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** away-from-her - **IMDb ID:** tt0491747 - **TMDB ID:** 1919 - **Wikidata ID:** Q482652 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0491747/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1919, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q482652 **Fi1m score: 82** · Critics 78 from 15 reviews *In a sentence:* The cruellest thing a wife can do is forget her husband; the second cruellest is to seem relieved > Sarah Polley’s first film as director takes Alice Munro’s story about a wife with Alzheimer’s and a husband left watching and plays it straight, without a swell of music or a speech. Julie Christie is remarkable; the structure fidgets more than it needs to. ## Synopsis Grant (Gordon Pinsent) and Fiona (Julie Christie) have been married a long time and live quietly, out in the snow most days of the winter. Fiona has begun to forget. Household objects turn up in the wrong places, the word for wine will not come, and an afternoon out ends with her lost on a road after dark. She reads up on her condition, decides for herself, and checks into Meadowlake, a care home run by a cheerful administrator, Madeleine (Wendy Crewson). Grant drives home alone. When he next visits, Fiona is friendly, vague, and devoted to another resident, Aubrey (Michael Murphy), who does not speak. Grant keeps coming back, and keeps watching. ## Review Grant (Gordon Pinsent) and Fiona (Julie Christie) have been married a long time, and the first thing Sarah Polley shows us is the two of them out in the snow, small against it and in step. Not long after, Fiona washes up after dinner and starts putting things away in the wrong places. Polley, adapting Alice Munro’s short story *The Bear Came Over the Mountain*, has made a film about Alzheimer’s that is really about a marriage, and about what a husband is owed by a wife who no longer knows him. It is good, and it is quiet about being good. We would put it in front of anyone who has sat in a care home car park working up to going in. Christie is the reason most critics give for seeing it, and they are right. Fiona is nobody’s object of pity. She reads the pamphlets with a scientist’s interest, chooses Meadowlake herself, and tells Grant in the car that she would like to leave with some dignity. Christie plays her bright, amused and about half a second behind, so that in every conversation we watch her catch up and pretend she was never behind at all. We were moved more than we had braced for by one small scene in the kitchen. Fiona tells Grant she thinks she is beginning to disappear, and she smiles as she says it, as though reporting an interesting fact about someone else. Christie keeps her eyes dry. That is what did it. Grant is the film’s actual subject, and Gordon Pinsent plays him with almost nothing moving above the collar. The film lets him remember their marriage in pieces while he sits in a lounge chair watching his wife fetch a cardigan for Aubrey (Michael Murphy), a resident who cannot speak. Pinsent does not ask us to feel sorry for Grant. He lets us watch a man wondering what he has earned and deciding to keep turning up regardless. It is the kind of performance that gets overlooked next to a brighter one, and it should not be. Luc Montpellier lights the house in lamplight the colour of weak tea and the world outside it in the hard blue-white of deep winter, and he does not let Meadowlake have either. Kathleen Climie’s production design gives the home wide corridors, pastel walls and a big window onto the snow; it is pleasant, which is worse than grim would have been. Debra Hanson dresses Christie in white and cream, a long pale coat under a silver bob, so that outdoors she is nearly part of the snow and indoors she is the brightest thing in the corridor. Jonathan Goldsmith’s score is a few piano notes and long silences, and it has the manners to stay out of the visiting hours. The home is populated with care. Wendy Crewson’s Madeleine, who runs it, gives Grant the tour and explains that they like to keep things upbeat, and Crewson lets us hear exactly how much practice that line has had. Kristen Thomson’s Kristy, a nurse, is the best-written small part: she tells Grant what she sees, no more, and is the only person in the film who talks to him as if he were still a husband. Michael Murphy says nothing for the whole film and is never once a prop. Olympia Dukakis arrives later as Aubrey’s wife Marian and brings a harder, more practical kind of grief into a story that needed it. The structure is where we part company with the film. Polley opens somewhere near the end, loops back and cuts between months with a confidence the story does not need, and David Wharnsby’s editing has to keep reminding us where we are. A plain chronology would have hurt more. Fiona’s pointed asides about the past arrive often enough that the film seems anxious we might miss its point about a long marriage and what it has cost. We had not. And Kristy, for all Thomson’s plainness, is handed a line or two that sound like the writer. At 110 minutes it is not long, but the middle hour sits still, and some critics have found it glacial; we were content to sit with it. Watch it at home, on a quiet night, with someone you have known a long time. It will start a conversation you may not have planned on having. Have it anyway. *Fi1m score 82, published 1 October 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics come away admiring Away from Her, and the praise gathers in two places. Julie Christie’s performance as Fiona is singled out again and again, for its restraint, its intelligence and for making a woman with Alzheimer’s more than someone to be pitied. Sarah Polley’s writing and direction draw almost as much credit, with the reviews noting how she handles the illness, and the resentments inside a long marriage, without reaching for histrionics. Gordon Pinsent’s quieter work as the husband is also mentioned warmly. The reservations are scattered rather than shared. Total Film finds the pacing glacial and the film too long, Empire thinks the story loses focus and the dialogue occasionally turns stagy, and The AV Club feels the out-of-order storytelling disturbs the film’s elegiac flow. Variety is alone in arguing that it is Pinsent, not Christie, who carries the film. The spread is narrow: thirteen reviews are positive, two mixed, none negative. ## Straight answers **Is Away from Her worth watching?** *Away from Her* is worth watching for anyone prepared for a quiet, unsentimental film about a long marriage and Alzheimer's, and we scored it 82. Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent are both exact, and the care home scenes are observed with real patience. The looping structure fidgets more than the story needs, and the middle hour sits very still. **How long is Away from Her, and what is it rated?** *Away from Her* runs 1h 50m and is rated 0 by the CH in Switzerland. It is a drama and romance film. **Where can I watch Away from Her in Switzerland?** *Away from Her* is available to rent from Apple TV from CHF 4.50. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **What should I watch after Away from Her?** After *Away from Her*, try [*Amour*](https://film.one/film/amour) (2012, Fi1m 88): Haneke’s Paris flat, a stroke and a husband; colder than Polley, and just as exact. Then [*Make Way for Tomorrow*](https://film.one/film/make-way-for-tomorrow) (1937, Fi1m 91): An old couple parted by their children; the saddest Hollywood film almost nobody has seen; and [*Poetry*](https://film.one/film/poetry) (2010, Fi1m 87): A Korean grandmother losing her words takes a verse class; patient, surprising and unsentimental. ### Reviews we read (15) - **Evening Standard**, Charlotte O'Sullivan (90/100, inferred): O'Sullivan gives the film an enthusiastic appraisal, calling it a successful adaptation of Alice Munro's story. She particularly praises Sarah Polley's writing and direction, along with Julie Christie's performance. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/away-from-here-forgotten-favourites-a4549811.html) - **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (3.5/4): Ebert’s verdict is positive, finding the film quietly moving. He singles out Julie Christie’s performance for praise. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/away-from-her) - **Slant Magazine**, Nick Schager (3.5/4): Schager finds the film a mature, sensitive, and ultimately hopeful study of Alzheimer’s and its effects on a marriage. He particularly praises Julie Christie’s performance and Polley’s nuanced handling of complicated emotions. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/away-from-her/) - **IndieWire**, Michael Koresky (85/100, inferred): Koresky gives the film a warmly admiring verdict, praising Sarah Polley’s empathy and grace. He singles out Julie Christie’s shrewd, articulate performance as the film’s radiating nucleus. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/review-in-loving-memory-sarah-polleys-away-from-her-74676/) - **The Guardian**, Rob Mackie (85/100, inferred): Mackie calls the film quietly powerful and praises its dignity, subtlety, and honesty. He singles out Julie Christie’s performance and Polley’s nuanced treatment of memory and marital resentment. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/sep/14/dvdreviews.drama) - **The AV Club**, Tasha Robinson (B+): Robinson finds the film a subdued, moving character study, though its achronological storytelling slightly disrupts its elegiac flow. She praises the subtle performances and its willingness to observe emotions without resorting to histrionics. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/away-from-her-1798202612) - **The New York Times**, A.O. Scott (80/100, inferred): Scott gives the film a positive verdict. He singles out Julie Christie’s performance for praise. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/29/movies/29osta.html) - **Time Out**, Dave Calhoun (4/5): The review frames the film as a sober, straight look at an ageing married couple facing Alzheimer’s. The available page text does not reveal what the critic singles out for praise or complaint. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/away-from-her-1) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, The Associated Press (75/100, inferred): The review finds the film deep, sensitive and emotionally affecting, while noting that its subject may limit its box-office appeal. It praises the performances and Sarah Polley’s restrained direction, especially the tender scenes that avoid sentimentality. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/away-her-158985/) - **The New Yorker**, David Denby (75/100, inferred): Denby calls the film a minor triumph, praising its challenging intelligence rather than sentimentalizing Fiona’s illness. He singles out Julie Christie’s incisive, forceful performance for making Fiona more than an object of pity. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/05/28/movies-10) - **Empire**, Olly Richards (70/100, inferred): Richards finds the film glum but accomplished, with its measured approach ultimately making the tragedy more affecting. He praises the leads, especially Julie Christie’s restrained and deeply sad performance, while criticizing the story’s loss of focus and occasional stagy dialogue. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/away-review/) - **Variety**, Dennis Harvey (70/100, inferred): Harvey finds the drama admirable and intelligently focused, though its understated approach may limit its theatrical reach. He particularly praises Gordon Pinsent’s restrained performance, which carries much of the film. [Read](https://variety.com/2007/film/awards/away-from-her-4-1200559746/) - **Screen Daily**, de.seguin@gmail.com (65/100, inferred): The accessible page provides no critical verdict. It contains no readable praise or complaint about the film. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/away-from-her/4036728.article) - **Total Film**, Total Film (3/5): The review finds the film a tasteful, intelligent character study that successfully stays with the viewer. It praises the performances while criticizing the glacial pacing and overlong running time. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/away-from-her-review/) - **Eye for Film**, Amber Wilkinson (75/100, inferred): Wilkinson finds the film emotionally powerful despite a couple of reservations. She singles out Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent for their deeply affecting performances. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/away-from-her-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) ## Details - **Director:** Sarah Polley - **Director:** Sarah Polley - **Writer:** Sarah Polley - **Cinematography:** Luc Montpellier - **Editor:** David Wharnsby - **Music:** Jonathan Goldsmith - **Production design:** Kathleen Climie - **Costume design:** Debra Hanson - **Producer:** Simone Urdl, Daniel Iron, Jennifer Weiss - **Cast:** Gordon Pinsent as Grant; Julie Christie as Fiona; Michael Murphy as Aubrey; Olympia Dukakis as Marian; Kristen Thomson as Kristy; Wendy Crewson as Madeleine; Alberta Watson as Dr. Fischer; Thomas Hauff as William Hart - **Runtime:** 1h 50m - **Certificate (CH):** 0 - **Release (Switzerland):** 19 April 2007 - **Genres:** Drama, Romance - **Budget:** $3 million - **Box office:** $9 million ## Where to watch in Switzerland - Apple TV: rent CHF 4.50, hd - Apple TV: buy CHF 10.00, hd *Checked 2026-10-01.* Also available in: CA, CH, GB, IE, IT, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Academy Awards 2008: Best Actress (nominated); Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (nominated) - Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television Award for Best Motion Picture 2008: Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television Award for Best Motion Picture (won) ## If you liked this - *Amour* (2012), Fi1m 88: Haneke’s Paris flat, a stroke and a husband; colder than Polley, and just as exact. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/amour.md) - *Make Way for Tomorrow* (1937), Fi1m 91: An old couple parted by their children; the saddest Hollywood film almost nobody has seen. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/make-way-for-tomorrow.md) - *Poetry* (2010), Fi1m 87: A Korean grandmother losing her words takes a verse class; patient, surprising and unsentimental. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/poetry.md) - *45 Years* (2015), Fi1m 88: Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay, a long marriage and a letter that unsettles it in a week. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/45-years.md) - *Stories We Tell* (2012), Fi1m 77: Polley turns the camera on her own family; the same tact, applied to real people. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/stories-we-tell.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/away-from-her