How well the film adapts to the story
The film Away from her adapts so effectively to the story of The Bear Came over the Mountain on which it is based. It does this so well by narrating to the audience how loss of memory due to Alzheimer almost brings a marriage of close to half a century to an end (Egoyan&Polley, 2006). Judging from the title Away From Her, the audience gets a rough idea of what the story should be about. The most likely thought that crosses the mind of an audience who reads the title of the movie is that it entails two parties whereby one separates from the other. The film clearly brings out this idea by narrating how Fiona (starring) show symptoms of memory loss, and as the diseases get more serious, she separates from her husband, Grant (co-starring) both physically and emotionally when she is taken to hospital, when she falls in love with Aubrey, a ward mate. Despite the efforts made by Grant to restore the love that they shared, Fiona appears to remember nothing at all. This hurts Grant so bad that he is forced to let go and stay away from her, so that she can have time with her new mate Aubrey. Therefore, from this film, the audience sees a story of persistent affection that is met with scolding due to loss of memory by one partner, for example, an instance in the Hospital where Fiona says “and you are very persistent”, while addressing Grant.
How the film depicts the disease process that Fiona has
The film depicts Alzheimer as a threat to marriage regardless of how cemented the institution is (Egoyan & Polley, 2006). The audiences see in this film how memory loss shakes a marriage that had lasted for 44 years. A marriage that was vibrant, full of adventure, sex and sharing of love. The film reveals this to the audience by presenting the first instance where Fiona exhibits memory loss. She puts a washed frying pan in the freezer only for her husband to alert her (ibid). Even though they both laugh it out, the incidence repeats itself at a dinner, where she wants a bottle of wine but she cannot remember the name wine. She excuses herself and says that she is beginning to lose herself, a statement that symbolizes her disappearance from Grant. The film also depicts the disease as a slow but a steady consumer of an individual’s memory as they learn that Fiona already displayed symptoms of forgetfulness earlier enough, leading to them labeling kitchen cabinets, putting of a pan in the freezer, forgetting the name wine and eventually bringing the need to be under 24 hours Alzheimer treatment due to memory loss (Ibid). It is when Fiona’s memory lapse became critical that Grant took her to the Meadowlake Hospital, oblivious that this was the genesis of their physical and emotional separation.
The Plot
The movie starts with Fiona coming back from her daily adventurous activity of skiing with her memory still in effect, though she had started showing symptoms of memory lapse (Egoyan&Polley, 2006). She goes about her activities and exhibits a major lapse in memory in the process of washing the dishes with her husband, when she attempts to put a frying pan into the freezer. This extends to even after a dinner at a friend’s home when she could not remember the name, wine. As the film goes on, Fiona gets lost, Grant becomes worried, and when he finds her, they both agree that the disease has greatly affected her and then she needs to be under the care of a specialist. This leads to the decision that Fiona should join the Meadowlake Alzheimer Health Center for special attention (ibid). Grant then goes ahead to visit her, but the health providers in the hospital cannot allow him in until after 30 days in order to allow Fiona to adapt to the hospital. Fiona’s case becomes more serious and she moves to the second floor of the hospital. This acts as a facilitator to their separation as Fiona falls for Aubrey, a fellow ward mate (ibid). Fiona no cannot remember her husband due to memory loss and partly because he is being away from her for a month. This deeply hurts Grant, who is now forced to wait for Fiona to leave Aubrey so that they can have a chance to talk. It is at this instance, that Grant remembers that he was unfaithful to Fiona during his days as a college professor (ibid). The events continue in this similar manner, bringing together Grant and Maria, who is the wife of Aubrey. These two individuals are in a similar emotional situation making them to come closer to each other, thus appearing like they are countering the relationship between Fiona and Aubrey. These two couples remain in this state of confusion and desperation for the duration of time until when Aubrey gets out of hospital. Fiona remains lonely in the ward, causing wariness to Grant. This prompts him to approach Maria so that she could bring back Aubrey to the hospital (ibid). Maria does not like the idea, but since it was the only means of comforting Fiona, she agrees. It is after these events that Fiona gets back a partial memory of Grant as her husband, making her recall the love that they once shared and the movie ends while the two are embracing each other’s arms.
Setting
The setting of this film is in the snowy parts of rural Canada, where Grant and Fiona lived in a marriage of 44 years. It is also acting in the Meadowlake Hospital located in the same area in Canada (Egoyan&Polley, 2006). It is in this rural location where Grant and Fiona enjoying skiing activity. The Meadowlake hospital is where Fiona was taken for treatment after her memory loss worsened. The director of this movie is also has a Canadian origin.
Theme
Love is clearly depicted in this film. Grant and Fiona shared a lot of love in their marriage, making them have and adventurous life of fun and sex (Egoyan&Polley, 2006). It is also due to this unending love that Grant incessantly visits Fiona in the hospital despite of the fact that Fiona could not remember him. Kindness is also depicted in the film where we see Maria offering advice to Grant on how to get back his wife. This happens even though Maria knew that Fiona had fallen for her husband Aubrey. Memory loss is also exhibited in the film as Fiona suffers from Alzheimer leading to her hospitalization.
Irony
It is ironical to watch Maria offer advice to Grant despite the fact that it Grants wife who is stealing away her husband. It is even more ironical when Maria agrees to take her husband back to the hospital so that they can stay with Fiona. Irony is also depicted in how these four couples fall in love with each other’s partner with their full knowledge. Fiona fall for Aubrey and Grant falls for Maria (Egoyan&Polley, 2006).
Symbolism
A major symbolism used in this movie is Alzheimer as a disease. Alzheimer is a disease that makes one lose his or her memory, it is therefore symbolically used to show how one can quickly forget events in their life. Fiona’s memory loss leads to the most difficult time in their 44-year-old marriage (Egoyan&Polley, 2006). It therefore symbolizes those challenges or events that take place in human life, which can make someone, forget about the amazing things that he or she has experienced in life.
Tone
The mood of this movie changes from an exciting one when Fiona comes back from skiing to a sad one when she loses her memory ending up in hospitalization. This is seen at the beginning of the movie, when Fiona seduces her husband into making love before she goes away. Sadness, confusion and uncertainty capture Grant when Fiona falls in love with another man in the hospital. It even becomes more passionate when Grant feels like he is losing the love of his life. This instance makes Grant loose himself leading to a mood of guilt and regret, for example, when he remembered ever cheating on Fiona with college girls (Egoyan&Polley, 2006).
The style of this film is of realism. This is because this movie is all about a story that happens in the actual lives of human beings. Alzheimer is an existing disease and one that makes people lose their memory, thus forgetting even their loved ones (Egoyan&Polley, 2006). Fiona showed symptoms of memory lapse but the couple did not take it serious until it grew to a more serious level. Normally human beings ignore diseases at their early stages, only for them to seek medical attention when the disease gets more critical and with more serious effect. This couple ignored this disease when it started, and they faced its consequences in the event when Fiona forgot everything about her husband.
Reference
Egoyan, A. (Producer), &Polley, S. (Director). (2006). Away From Her [Movie].
Canada. Lions Gate Film
