My Life Without Me (2003)

Director:

Isabel Coixet

Writers:

Isabel Coixet (writer)
Nanci Kincaid (book)

Release Date:

7 March 2003 (Spain)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Romance

Plot:

A young woman conceals the fact of her terminal cancer to live her life with a passion she never had before.

Plot Keywords:

Cancer | Doctor | Death | Birthday | Neighbor

Awards:

16 wins & 15 nominations

Cast

Sarah Polley	...	Ann
Amanda Plummer	...	Laurie
Scott Speedman	...	Don
Leonor Watling	...	Ann, the Neighbor
Deborah Harry	...	Ann's Mother
Maria de Medeiros	...	The Hairdresser
Mark Ruffalo	...	Lee
Julian Richings	...	Dr. Thompson
Kenya Jo Kennedy	...	Patsy
Jessica Amlee	...	Penny
Esther García
Camille Martinez		(as Camille Martínez)
María Cami
Deanne Henry	...	Waitress
Gillian Barber	...	Nurse #1

Also Known As:

Ma vie sans moi (Canada: French title)
Mi vida sin mí (Spain)

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

106 min | Argentina:107 min

Country:

Spain | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Hong Kong:IIA | Portugal:M/12 | Iceland:L | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | South Korea:15 | USA:R | Germany:6 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:12 | Chile:14 | Norway:A | UK:15

Filming Locations:

New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

El Deseo S.A.

Goofs:

Continuity: Ann's fingernails after she gets them done.

Quotes:

[Ann writes in journal]
Ann: THINGS TO DO BEFORE I DIE.
Ann: 1. Tell my daughters I love them several times.
Ann: 2. Find Don a new wife who the girls like.
Ann: 3. Record birthday messages for the girls for every year until they're 18.
Ann: 4. Go to Whalebay Beach together and have a big picnic.
Ann: 5. Smoke and drink as much as I want.
Ann: 6. Say what I'm thinking.
Ann: 7. Make love with other men to see what it's like.
Ann: 8. Make someone fall in love with me.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Features Mildred Pierce (1945)

Soundtrack:

Sometime Later

Beautiful and Sensitive Movie

The young Ann (Sarah Polley) has a simple, but happy life with her husband Don (Scott Speedman) and her two daughters, Penny and Petsy. Ann works as a janitor in the nightshift, cleaning the rooms of a university, Don builds swimming pools and they live in a trailer in the backyard of Ann's mother. When Ann goes to the doctor expecting to be pregnant, she is informed that indeed she has a terminal cancer, lasting a maximum of two weeks. She hides the information from her family and prepares for her death, making a list of ten outstanding subjects in her life, including preparing tapes for the birthdays of her daughters until they are eighteen years old; eating and drinking whatever she wants; telling only the truth; finding a new wife to her husband; visiting her father in the penitentiary; and making love with another man.

When I started seeing this movie, I immediately recalled Michael Keaton's "My Life". But indeed, only part of the storyline, regarding a terminal ill person preparing for the death, is similar. It is impossible not adoring "My Life Without You". The first point for loving this movie is the outstanding direction of Isabel Coixet and performance of the cast, having inclusive the uncredited and magnificent participation of Alfred Molina, as the father of Ann, in one of the most touching scenes along the film. I do not know the criteria of the Academy to select the nominations for the Oscar, but I believe Sarah Polley deserved at least a nomination for her acting. The story, although dealing with a delicate theme, is very beautiful, sensitive, positive and never corny, due to the sensibility of Isabel Coixet. The two young girls (Jessica Amlee and Kenya Jo Kennedy) are amazing, being very natural and convincing in their performances. The soundtrack, with sad but lovely songs, completes this wonderful film. I have never heard about Siamese babies of different sexes, but I am not sure whether it is possible. My vote is eight, but I am not sure whether I am being fair.

Title (Brazil): "Minha Vida Sem Mim" ("My Life Without Me")