Oscar-nominated Canadian film Away From Her shows a man coping with his wife's advancing Alzheimer's Disease. The script was adapted from an Alice Munro short story by director Sarah Polley. It was Polley's feature film debut as a director.

Sarah Polley had been acting since she was six years old, and had been interested in directing for several years. When she could not find funding for Itchy, her script about a child actor, she decided to adapt one of her favorite short stories for the screen.