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Film Fidelity to Literature
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Film Fidelity to Literature
The adaptation of literature into film has been an ongoing art that requires to be handled
delicately for the storytelling in the cinema to match or even better the written words. One
renowned adaptation is that of Alice Monro’s emotional short story “The Bear Came Over the
Mountain” in the 2006 film “Away from Her” by Sarah Polley. The emotional story follows the
life of Grant and Fiona, a couple in their old age whose affection is threatened by the loss of
memory occasioned by Alzheimer’s disease. Through an evaluation of “Away from Her” film,
this essay will examine how it stays true to the source material’s plot, characters, structure and
point of view. While the film diverges in plot development and character portrayal, it maintains
the story's central themes, offering a cinematic experience that captures the truth and emotions
similar to Munro’s original prose.
“The Bear Came Over the Mountain” offers a complex and engaging plot that explores
couple relations, old age and memory. The narrative delves into Fiona's struggles with
Alzheimer's disease in old age while also offering a view into how the disease has affected her
husband of fifty years, Grant. As the plot develops, the story exposes how Grant struggles
internally from the void left by the departure of his wife to a nursing home; at the same time, he
reflects on his younger life when he was still a lecturer and often cheated on his wife. The plot
uses flashbacks to enrich the narrative by tangling the couple's history with their present life.
Grant's past is very vital to the plot development as he revisits his numerous affairs and the effect
they had on his relationship with Fiona, which creates room for the exploration of the themes of
love, trust and sacrifice. In one of the flashbacks says, "But would it have been better if he had
done as others had done with their wives, and left her? He had never thought of such a thing.”
(Munro,2001, p.274) The flashback captures the undying love that the two shared even in turmoil
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and offers hope for the current being a passing wind, too. According to Berthin-Scaillet (2010),
the flashbacks not only create depth in the story by finding the source of remorse and deep love
that Grant has for Fiona in her time of need but also juxtapose the couple's happier times with the
present bleak, thereby offering a bigger picture of their emotional connection. The plot technique
thus allows the readers to put themselves in Grant's shoes and feel his loss and responsibility,
which gives the story an emotional feel.
Similarly, the adaptation of "Away from Her" uses a visual medium to translate the
disjointed plot. The plot focus remains on Fiona's struggle with Alzheimer's disease and Grant's
emotional response. However, to uphold the cinematic basics, Polley adjusts some elements to
add depth to the storyline. One adjustment is the focus on Fiona's interactions with other
residents at the nursing home, Aubrey in particular. The relationship is emotionally explored to
greater lengths in a way that builds Fiona's character fully than in the text to show how her sense
of self is affected by memory loss. Visual storytelling, which focuses more on Fiona rather than
Grant, helps the audience understand the emotional journey the couple has undergone to where
they are currently. The adjustment in Grant's remarks when he comes to the realization of her
condition: “She had always been so sure of her bearings. Now she would look at me sometimes
as if trying to figure out who I was.” (Polley, 2006) Even though different from the remarks in
the text, this line echoes the emotions of the short story, capturing the theme of memory and
identity. The richness offered visually from the memory and emotional confusion offers a new
perspective on her identity in the struggle with Alzheimer’s. The adjustments to the plot thus not
only make the plot more cinematically appealing but also emotionally arrest the viewer’s
attention.
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Holding true to the disjointed plot, Munro uses a non-linear structure to mirror the
characters’ lives. The structure allows the narrative to go back and forth frequently, making it
disjointed yet tying the history of the couple with the present to capture the reader emotionally.
This structure allows readers to indulge themselves in understanding marriage and what it carries
by revealing Grant's guilt and Fiona's sickness through the rich flashbacks and present
happenings. The transition to the past is seen in "He thought of the early days of their
marriage...". (Munro, 2001, p.275) help in understanding the depth of Grant's emotional distress
and Fiona's memory distress. Additionally, the pacing of the story is well-attuned, with details
being slowly disclosed, which builds suspense. In contrast, the film "Away from Her" maintains
a linear structure even though it incorporates flashbacks to provide background on Grant and
Fiona's marriage. Nonetheless, Berthin-Scaillet (2010) observes that the flashbacks are not as
frequent or as seamlessly integrated as in the short story, which makes the narrative easy to
follow for the viewers. Thus, the film offers a straightforward storyline that lightens the
emotional depth for the audience to identify with thereby making it easier to follow but less
intense compared to the story’s approach.
The character development in both works is commendable as they picture problems
experienced in most marriages. Munro is excellent at giving life to her characters, as seen with
Grant, who is portrayed as an everyday man, loving but flawed. He suffers emotionally for his
past infidelity but also for Fiona's condition. As Fiona's condition worsens, the characters grow
with the disease, adding sensitivity and capturing the effect of Alzheimer's on patient identity and
relationships. Grant, for instance is captured questioning Fiona's loss of memory with the
labeling of everything in the house; "The new notes were different. Stuck onto the kitchen
drawers—Cutlery, Dish-towels, Knives. Couldn’t she just open the drawers and see what was
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inside?” (Munro, 2001, p.276) This shows the development of the disease and the subsequent
growth of Grant's realization of the worsening state of his wife's memory. The character
development is also transformed by the introduction of a new couple who help in the exploration
of the themes of marriage, love, infidelity and trust.
Consequently, "Away from Her" maintains the same development of the characters. Grant
and Fiona, especially, had strong performances by Gordon Pinsent and Julie Christie, which
captured the uniqueness of their characters. The introduction of the second couple is also well
formulated as the film expands character development through its visual storytelling, offering an
intimate look at their emotions. The interactions between Fiona and Aubrey, and later between
Grant and Marian, are shot with a sensitivity that aligns with the original story while also adding
new characteristics to their relationships. However, the film's format necessitates condensing
some of the nuanced details found in the short story. Grant's internal monologues and reflections,
which provide deep insights into his character in the text, are lesser explored in the film. For
instance, Grant's inner restlessness about his infidelities. " And what would become of him and
Marian after he’d delivered Aubrey to Fiona?"(p.321) is better expressed in the short story,
offering a depth of introspection that is challenging to convey visually. Thus, even though the
film effectively emulates Grant's struggle, the short story's character development provides a
better understanding of his struggles.
Lastly, the third-person limited point of view in "The Bear Came Over the Mountain"
allows readers to engage keenly with Grant’s struggles and life perspective. This point of view is
crucial in understanding the weight of emotions in the story, as it provides intimate access to
Grant's thoughts and feelings. In contrast, the film adaptation employs a third-person perspective
that captures the broader narrative but lacks an intimate focus on Grant's internal experiences.
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Even statements like “people do get lonely when they are deprived of seeing someone they care
for,” (Polley, 2006) do not capture the emotion it carries since it lacks focus. Nonetheless, while
the film successfully captures the story, it misses some of the subtle emotions conveyed through
Munro's limited third-person point of view. This shift results in a less detailed exploration of
Grant's inner turmoil, making it challenging to fully grasp the depth of his emotions as
effectively as the short story does.
Away from Her is an unforgettable adaptation that maintains fidelity to the central themes
of Alice Munro's "The Bear Came Over the Mountain." Same with the themes of love, marriage,
memory and trust, the film also preserves the plot and characters, but it simplifies the story's
structure and depth of character development due to the cinematics best practices. The film lacks
the non-linear storytelling and the monologues that make Munro's short story a literary
masterpiece. Thus, while Away from Her is a commendable film, it falls short of fully capturing
the rich emotional narrative of its source literature.
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References
Berthin-Scaillet, A. (2010). A Reading of Away from Her, Sarah Polley’s adaptation of Alice
Munro’s short story, "The Bear Came Over the Mountain”.GJournal of the Short Story in
English. Les Cahiers de la nouvelle, (55).
Egoyan, A., Polley, S., Pinsent, G., & Christie, J. (2006). Away from Her [Film]. Lionsgate
Films.
Munro, A. (2001). The bear came over the mountain.GHateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship,
Marriage, 274-322.
