Away from Her

The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Grant and Fiona ski through snowy woods together, laughing and intimate. Their 44-year marriage appears loving despite Fiona's increasing memory lapses. Grant reads to her in their comfortable home, establishing their deep bond before the disease fully intrudes.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.

The inciting incident occurs at 14 minutes when Fiona calmly tells Grant she wants to check into Meadowlake, a facility for Alzheimer's patients. This role reversal—she makes the decision, protecting him from having to—disrupts Grant's hope that they can manage at home. His world of denial crumbles.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.

The First Threshold at 27 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to Grant drives Fiona to Meadowlake and watches her enter the facility. She walks in with dignity, not looking back. He signs the papers and commits to the 30-day separation. This active choice—honoring her wishes over his need to keep her close—marks his entry into a world of loss., moving from reaction to action.

At 56 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 51% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Notably, this crucial beat Aubrey's family takes him out of Meadowlake permanently. Fiona deteriorates rapidly without him, refusing to eat, becoming withdrawn. Grant realizes she's grieving a love she can't even remember. The stakes shift: it's no longer about whether she'll remember him, but whether he can help her survive this loss., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.

The Collapse moment at 83 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Grant sits in his car outside Marian's house, realizing he's been visiting her partly for himself—companionship, absolution, even attraction. He sees his old self, the unfaithful husband Fiona forgave. The whiff of death: his marriage, already lost to disease, could be further betrayed by his inability to change. He faces his deepest failure., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.

The Second Threshold at 88 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Grant calls Marian with genuine humility and asks if Aubrey can visit Fiona, not for himself, but for Fiona's wellbeing. He offers to help Marian afterward, no strings attached. This breakthrough combines his old persistence with newfound selflessness—synthesis of who he was and who Fiona needed him to become., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.