My Life Without Me Movie Review 2003

Writer/director Coixet delivers a weepy drama about a young, married woman who keeps her impending death a secret from her family. Diagnosed with inoperable ovarian cancer, the happily married 23-year-old Ann (Polley) decides against telling husband Don (Speedman) and their two daughters about her condition. With only a few months to live, Ann draws up a list of things to do before dying, one of which is to really fall in love with another man. She soon finds a cooperative lover in Lee (Ruffalo), who falls for her too. She also tries to set her husband up with a replacement wife, also named Ann (Watling). Despite the far-fetched, soap operatic script and less than sympathetic main character, earnest performances (especially from the likeable Polley) ratchet up the believability factor.

Distribution

Sony Pictures Home Video, Sony Pictures Plz., 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232, Phone: (310)244-7306, Fax: (310)280-2485, URL: http://www.spe.sony.com, Remarks: Formerly Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 106 minutes.
Originally from Canadian, Spanish.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Terminal Illness, Adultery, Marriage, Moms, Canada, Tearjerkers

Screenplay

Isabel Coixet

Cast

Sarah Polley, Scott Speedman, Mark Ruffalo, Deborah Harry, Alfred Molina, Leonor Watling, Amanda Plummer, Julian Richings, Maria De Medeiros

Cinematography

Jean-Claude Larrieu

Director

Isabel Coixet

Music

Alfonso de Villalonga

Other

Sebastian Salm, Lisa Robinson, Katia Sano, Carol Lavalle

Producer

Esther Garcia, Gordon McLennan, El Deseo, Milestone Productions, Sony Pictures Classics