My Life Without Me

9/26/20031h 46m

Theatrical Release (US)

~ What you are… is what you leave behind. ~

Overview:

A fatally ill mother with only two months to live creates a list of things she wants to do before she dies without telling her family of her illness.

Director:

Isabel Coixet

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$2,500,000.00

Revenue:

$12,300,000.00

Key words:

dying and death
daughter
farewell
night shift
secret love
parent child relationship
responsibility
woman director

Cast

Sarah Polley

~ as ~

Ann

Amanda Plummer

~ as ~

Laurie

Scott Speedman

~ as ~

Don

Mark Ruffalo

~ as ~

Lee

Leonor Watling

~ as ~

Neighbor Ann

Debbie Harry

~ as ~

Ann's Mother

Maria de Medeiros

~ as ~

Hairdresser

Julian Richings

~ as ~

Dr. Thompson

Jessica Amlee

~ as ~

Penny

Kenya Jo Kennedy

~ as ~

Patsy

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

b
badelf
Written 2 year(s) ago
7
As a narrative, it's a bit weak. But on other levels, this film is fascinating. The cast, especially Sarah Polley, does a bang up job. Every character real and believable - even the kids.

First and foremost, the film is a strong advocate for "viva la vida" (Frida Kahlo before Cold Play!). There is an old Buddhist parable about a man running from a tiger and suddenly faced with a cliff. In one direction, the tiger; in the other, the cliff. He looks down and sees a branch growing out of the rock. Somehow, he casts himself down and grabs that branch. The tiger looks over the edge at him. He doesn't think either he or the branch can hold on too long. Then he spies a wild strawberry near the branch. He grabs it and eats it. It is the very best strawberry he ever ate in his soon-to-be-over life. And so it is with our protagonist. Having the harshness of mortality shoved in her face at a young age, she begins to live each day with full attention. Something humans hardly ever practice.

Second, the interesting, but perhaps unrealistic, decision to withhold her diagnosis and prognosis from everyone, creates an entirely unexpected space. She takes her cue from Dr. Thompson (Julian Richings), who can't look someone in the eye and tell them they're going to die. From there, she decides not to put anyone else in Dr. Thompson's situation. This frees us from the overly maudlin watching someone die thread.