Away from Her (2006)

Director:

Sarah Polley

Writers:

Sarah Polley (written by)
Alice Munro (short story "The Bear Came Over the Mountain")

Release Date:

27 April 2007 (UK)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

It's never too late to become what you might have been

Plot:

A man coping with the institutionalization of his wife because of Alzheimer's disease faces an epiphany when she transfers her affections to another man, Aubrey, a wheel chair-bound mute who also is a patient at the nursing home.

Plot Keywords:

Nursing Home | Alzheimer's Disease | Lost | Time | Love

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 39 wins & 16 nominations

Cast

Gordon Pinsent	...	Grant Anderson
Stacey LaBerge	...	Young Fiona
Julie Christie	...	Fiona Anderson
Olympia Dukakis	...	Marian
Deanna Dezmari	...	Veronica
Clare Coulter	...	Phoebe Hart
Thomas Hauff	...	William Hart
Alberta Watson	...	Dr. Fischer
Grace Lynn Kung	...	Nurse Betty
Lili Francks	...	Theresa
Andrew Moodie	...	Liam
Wendy Crewson	...	Madeleine Montpellier
Judy Sinclair	...	Mrs. Albright
Tom Harvey	...	Michael
Carolyn Hetherington	...	Eliza
Melanie Merkosky	...	Singing Nurse
Kristen Thomson	...	Kristy
Jessica Booker	...	Mrs. Jenkins
Janet van de Graaf	...	Rebecca Albright
Michael Murphy	...	Aubrey
Vanessa Vaughan	...	Stella
Catherine Fitch	...	Receptionist
Ron Hewat	...	Frank
Jason Knight	...	Young Grant
Nina Dobrev	...	Monica
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nancy E.L. Ward	...	Caregiver (uncredited)

Directed by
Sarah Polley

Writing credits
Sarah Polley		(written by)
Alice Munro		(short story "The Bear Came Over the Mountain")

Produced by
Atom Egoyan	....	executive producer
Victoria Hirst	....	co-producer
Daniel Iron	....	producer
Doug Mankoff	....	executive producer
Simone Urdl	....	producer
Jennifer Weiss	....	producer

Original Music by
Jonathan Goldsmith

Cinematography by
Luc Montpellier		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
David Wharnsby

Casting by
John Buchan

Production Design by
Kathleen Climie

Art Direction by
Benno Tutter

Set Decoration by
Mary Kirkland

Costume Design by
Debra Hanson

Makeup Department
Réjean Goderre	....	key hair stylist (as Rejean Goderre)
Zinka Shankland	....	hair stylist
Micheline Trépanier	....	key makeup artist (as Micheline Trepanier)
Catherine Viot	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Ted Miller	....	production manager
Rachel Sutherland	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ben Marrello	....	third assistant director
Barbara McCullam	....	daily third assistant director
Alan McKenna	....	second assistant director
Daniel J. Murphy	....	first assistant director (as Daniel Murphy)
Chris Trebilcock	....	trainee assistant director
Fatima Palhetas	....	daily assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Richard Armstrong	....	on-set dresser
Shawn Cantelon	....	set dresser
Rae Crombie	....	property master
Robert Dyer	....	carpenter
Hans Engel	....	carpenter
Rojuano Espiritu	....	set dresser
Matthew Fernandes	....	art department trainee
David Fuller	....	key scenic painter
Brian Jones	....	construction manager
Emmanouil Kourtikakis	....	carpenter
Kent McIntyre	....	set decoration buyer
Jonathan McKenzie	....	head carpenter
Ryan Sammut	....	carpenter
Eric Summerley	....	carpenter
Serge Tsukanov	....	lead set dresser (as Sergey Tsukanov)
Aleksandar Vojvodic	....	set dresser
Cindy Yetman	....	assistant property master
Frank Croft	....	painter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Kathy Choi	....	sound editor
Sue Conley	....	dialogue editor
Erik Culp	....	foley recordist
John Dykstra	....	foley recordist
John Elliot	....	assistant foley artist
Barry Gilmore	....	dialogue editor
Steve Hammond	....	foley artist
Ronayne Higginson	....	adr editor
Janice Ierulli	....	dialogue editor
Martin Lee	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mandy Ley	....	assistant sound mixer
Kirk Lynds	....	sound re-recording mixer
David McCallum	....	supervising dialogue editor
Chris McLeod	....	assistant adr recordist
Bill McMillan	....	sound recordist
Joe Morrow	....	second assistant sound editor
John Naslen	....	adr recordist
David Rose	....	sound effects editor (as Dave Rose)
Lou Solakofski	....	sound re-recording mixer
Matthew Stark	....	boom operator
Paul Talbott	....	assistant adr recordist
Jane Tattersall	....	sound designer
Marilee Yorston	....	foley assistant

Special Effects by
Mark Ahee	....	special effects technician
Derek Bujalski	....	special effects technician
Michael Gagnon	....	special effects coordinator (as Michel Gagnon)
Geoff Hill	....	special effects technician
Kirk Middleton	....	special effects technician
Jasmine Gorett Vala	....	special effects technician (as Gorett Vala)

Visual Effects by
Derek Bonin	....	digital compositor: Technicolor Creative Services
Christie Friesen	....	visual effects project coordinator: audio, Technicolor Creative Services
Doug Kilgore	....	visual effects project coordinator: video, Technicolor Creative Services
Sam Komaromi	....	visual effects project coordinator
Mark Kueper	....	digital intermediate scanner: Technicolor Creative Services
Eric Myles	....	digital supervisor: Technicolort Creative Services
Jordan Nieuwland	....	matte painter: Technicolor Creative Services
Andrew Pascoe	....	digital technician: Technicolor Creative Services

Camera and Electrical Department
Bradley Bell	....	electrician
Michael Blatchford	....	camera loader
Darren Boyce	....	key grip
Michael Curtis	....	electrician
Dennis Daigle	....	electrician
Tara Dixit	....	second assistant camera
Rick Dubeau	....	grip (as Richard Dubeau)
Michael Gibson	....	still photographer
Frank Hardin	....	generator operator
Jeremy Jemec	....	best boy electric
Sean Jensen	....	camera operator
Terry Kelly	....	gaffer
Don LeClair	....	grip
Murray Mainprize	....	generator operator
Hernan Morris	....	videographer: electronic press kit
Robert Mountjoy	....	first assistant camera (as Rob Mountjoy)
Rahul Parekh	....	dolly grip
Geoffrey Pope	....	grip
Loreen Ruddock	....	electrician
Kristen Somborac	....	grip
John Craig Steele	....	best boy grip (as Craig Steele)
Allyn Terry	....	electrician
Steve Winn	....	grip
Sean Jensen	....	Steadicam operator (uncredited)

Casting Department
Megan Conacher	....	background casting
Jason Knight	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jozi Conte	....	wardrobe assistant (as Jozie Conte)
Stacy Laliberte	....	wardrobe set supervisor
Emily McHugh	....	second assistant wardrobe
Crystal Silden	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Pierre Cadieux	....	telecine manager: Technicolor Creative Services
Louis Casado	....	color timer: Technicolor Creative Services (as Lou Casado)
Michael Dobroski	....	dailies colorist: Technicolor Creative Services (as Mike Dobroski)
Rob Gyorgy	....	on-line editor: Technicolor Creative Services
Jeff Hannaford	....	client services lab: Technicolor Creative Services
Chuck Kahn	....	first assistant editor
Mark Kueper	....	tape-to-tape colorist: Technicolor Creative Services
Mark Olexiuk	....	assistant colorist: dailies, Technicolor Creative Services
Winston Phillips	....	client services lab: Technicolor Creative Services
Brian Reid	....	packager: Technicolor Creative Services
Trevor Risbridger	....	on-line editor: Technicolor Creative Services

Music Department
Michael Banton-Jones	....	score mixing engineer
Jonathan Goldsmith	....	musician: guitars, keyboards, programming
Tricia Holloway	....	music consultant
George Koller	....	musician: bass
Hugh Marsh	....	musician: violin

Transportation Department
Helen Bone	....	driver
Martin Boon	....	driver
Sean Bryan	....	daily driver
Alan Cairns	....	daily driver
John Carr	....	daily driver
Paul Davies	....	driver
Artur Forst	....	driver
Keith Geobey	....	daily driver (as Keith Gobey)
Patrick McKenna	....	daily driver
David McLaren	....	transportation captain
Dave Mead	....	operator: honeywagon
George Mirosznik	....	driver
Barry Moyer	....	head driver
David Murray	....	daily driver
Paul Prucha	....	driver
Dave Puddister	....	daily driver (as David Puddister)
Jerry Skavinsky	....	transportation coordinator
Chris Taylor	....	daily driver
Bill Wilson	....	daily driver

Other crew
Cynthia Amsden	....	unit publicist
Jeff Arp	....	production assistant
Ernest Ashford	....	location support trainee
Brenda Blake	....	production lawyer
Glenn Brooks	....	location assistant
Gordon Brooks	....	location assistant (as Gord Brooks)
Ralph Bruzzese	....	location and transportation security
James Burton	....	craft service
Grace Carbale-Davis	....	sales executive: Technicolor Creative Services
Lorraine Clark	....	electronic press kit producer
Donna Croce	....	script supervisor
Heather K. Dahlstrom	....	production assistant (as Heather Dahlstrom)
Lindy Davies	....	performance consultant
Colin Davis	....	vice president: film operations, Technicolor Creative Services
Greg Dunfield	....	operations manager: Technicolor Creative Services
Mike Ellis	....	vice president: digital film, Technicolor Creative Services
Andrew Finch	....	location support trainee
Claude Forest	....	insurance broker
Doug Gillespie	....	production accountant
Ed Goldin	....	first general accountant
Raymond Gourlay	....	location support trainee
Jerry Greben	....	stand-in
Rhonda Hall	....	stand-in
Jeff Hannaford	....	client services: Technicolor Creative Services
Marni Hogg	....	ski double
Bill Hong	....	operator: camera car/insert car
Sonia Hosko	....	assistant: Sarah Polley
Ed Johnson	....	ski double
Liise Keeling	....	ski coach
Jacque Larcenaire	....	location support trainee
Kelly Lee	....	on-set medic
Stephanie Markowitz	....	assistant to producers
Quincy Morgan	....	location scout
Randy Morgan	....	assistant location manager
Jeff Nelson	....	location manager
Wayne Pells	....	script supervisor
Julie Pereira	....	assistant production coordinator
Lisa Perone	....	production coordinator
Steena Petersen	....	craft service (as Stine Petersen)
Steena Petersen	....	craft service
Winston Phillips	....	client services: Technicolor Creative Services
Diane Pitblado	....	dialect coach
Eli Schwanz	....	assistant to producers
Michael Tuttie	....	location support trainee
Hsing-Min Wen	....	location support trainee
Symone Wen	....	location support trainee
Brian White	....	client services manager: Technicolor Creative Services
Richard Wilcox	....	location support trainee
Ray Young	....	craft service

Thanks
Jonathan Ahee	....	special thanks
Chris Andrews	....	special thanks
Stewart Aziz	....	special thanks
Boyd Banks	....	special thanks
Erica Benson	....	special thanks
Dennis Berardi	....	special thanks
Kathy Broderick	....	special thanks
Celia Chassels	....	special thanks
Tony Cianciatta	....	special thanks
Lorraine Clark	....	special thanks
Wayne Clarkson	....	special thanks
Andrew Cullen	....	special thanks
Joel Darling	....	special thanks
Brian De Palma	....	special thanks
Marina di Pancrazio	....	special thanks
Andrew Eddy	....	special thanks
Bernie Finkelstein	....	special thanks (as Bernie Finklestein)
Don Forsyth	....	special thanks
Mary Forsyth	....	special thanks
Frank Frattaroli	....	special thanks
John Galway	....	special thanks
Marcy Gerstein	....	special thanks
Shelley Gillen	....	special thanks
Cam Gordon	....	special thanks
Ron Haney	....	special thanks
Martin Harbury	....	special thanks
David Hardy	....	special thanks
Tim Haslam	....	special thanks
Hannah Hempstead	....	special thanks
Brooke Johnson	....	special thanks
John Labraico	....	special thanks
Martin Levin	....	special thanks
Billy Lieberman	....	special thanks
Doug Liman	....	special thanks
Kerri Locke	....	special thanks
Dan Lyon	....	special thanks
Al Maciulis	....	special thanks
Anne MacKenzie	....	special thanks
Eliza Macmillan	....	special thanks
Michelle Marion	....	special thanks
Silvana Marsella	....	special thanks
Gabriella Martinelli	....	special thanks
Melissa Minshall	....	special thanks (as Melissa Minshall and the County of Brant)
Gaby Morgerman	....	special thanks
Michael Ondaatje	....	special thanks
Rick Perotto	....	special thanks
Tim Robbins	....	special thanks
Rena Ronson	....	special thanks
Thorsten Schumacher	....	special thanks (as Thorston Schumacher)
Carrie Paupst Shaughnessy	....	thanks
Robin Smith	....	special thanks
Tim Story	....	special thanks
Catherine Stuart	....	special thanks
Robert Varga	....	special thanks
Clément Virgo	....	special thanks (as Clement Virgo)
Alex Walton	....	special thanks
James Weyman	....	special thanks
Marnie Wharnsby	....	special thanks
Robert Young	....	special thanks
Eda Zimler	....	special thanks
Donna Zuchlinski	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Film Farm, The
• Foundry Films
• Echo Lake Productions (I)
• Pulling Focus Pictures

Distributors

• A-Film Distribution (2007) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Ascot Elite Entertainment Group (2007) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Bazuca Films (2008) (Chile) (theatrical)
• Capri Films (2007) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Capri Releasing (2006) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Cathay-Keris Films (2008) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Distribution Company (2008) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Hexagon Pictures (2008) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Lions Gate Films (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
• Lionsgate (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
• Majestic-Filmverleih (2007) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Metrodome Distribution (2007) (UK) (theatrical)
• Mongrel Media (2007) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Pulling Focus Pictures (2006) (Canada) (theatrical)
• SF Norge A/S (2007) (Norway) (theatrical)
• William Morris Independent (2006) (USA) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Ascot Elite Home Entertainment (2008) (Germany) (DVD)
• Independent Film Channel (IFC) (2008) (USA) (TV)
• Ledafilms (2008) (Mexico) (TV)
• Lions Gate Films (2007) (USA) (all media)
• Notro Films (2007) (Spain) (all media)

Special Effects

• Performance Solutions (special effects)
• Technicolor Creative Services (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Absolutely Famished  catering
• Caldwell Jeffery  adr loop group
• Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)  funding
• Catering By Davids  catering
• Concepts International  location and transportation security
• Dwight Crane Rentals  cranes (as Dwight Crane)
• Film Finances Canada  completion bond
• Film Support Service  location and transportation security
• Hand Prop  props supplied by
• Harold Greenberg Fund, The  financing
• Jones Brown Insurance  insurance
• Kay and Warburton  auditors (as Kay & Warburton)
• Kodak Canada  filmed on (as Kodak)
• Movie Central Network  financing
• National Bank of Canada  interim financing
• Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC)  financing
• PS Productions  grip and lighting equipment
• Panavision Canada  camera equipment
• Phase One Studios  score mixed at
• Rights Company, The  clearances and title search
• Stargrazing  craft service (as Star Grazing)
• Tattersall Sound  post-production sound
• Tattersall Sound  sound re-recording
• Technicolor  post production lab
• Toronto Film Studios  movie studio
• Téléfilm Canada  financing

Also Known As:

Loin d'elle (Canada: French title)

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | USA:PG-13 | South Korea:12 | Netherlands:6 | Germany:o.Al. | UK:12A | Singapore:PG | Argentina:13 | Canada:G (Québec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Singapore:NC-16 (DVD rating) | Brazil:12 | Chile:TE

Filming Locations:

Freeport Health Centre, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Film Farm, The

Trivia:

'Sarah Polley' adapted the short story "The Bear Came Over the Mountain" specifically for Julie Christie.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Frank, the former hockey play-by-play man, is announcing the Philadelphia Flyers-Toronto Maple Leafs game that's playing on television, at the finish of the game he gives the name of the Flyers coach as "Phil" Hitchcock; the Flyers coach in 2003 (when this movie is set) is actually named Ken Hitchcock.

Quotes:

Fiona: I think I may be beginning to disappear.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The O'Reilly Factor: (2008-02-22)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Helpless

Away From Julie Christie

The fact that Fiona - the "her" from the title - is played by Julie Christie makes the painful journey crystal clear. Julie Christie is a wonder. She manages for us,without sentimentality but with an intelligence that makes the point of the story profoundly human, to get close to the illness with sadness yes but without fear. Alzheimer's disease is like a dark tunnel that the afflicted enter without wanting to, without being able to avoid it. I've wondered what was like to be aware of it, I mean, to know that sooner rather than later you will forget everything and everyone. Sarah Polley, the director, works a little miracle here giving us Julie Christie to answer that question. I felt enormously close to Fiona's husband - a wonderful performance by Gordon Pinsent - and came out of the experience uplifted rather than depressed.