What Polley did next

It the turn of the millennium, 20-year-old Sarah Polley seemed poised for world domination. She was, we assumed, well on the way to becoming one of Hollywood’s greatest screen sirens.

She looked like a younger, prettier Uma Thurman (if such a thing were possible). And having skilfully metamorphosised from child star to arthouse demi-goddess, she was a credible actress.
There are those who might ask, “Where did it all go wrong?” but today, in Dublin for the Irish premiere of her directorial debut, the Canadian star assures me that she is precisely where she wants to be.
“As an actor I always felt I was missing the most important part of the process,” she tells me. “I was always getting moved away just when they were deciding how to light or shoot. I always wanted to be one of those boys doing the interesting things. And this was the first time where I suddenly felt part of it all. There were certainly moments where I missed just being subjective and doing your little bit as an actor instead of everything. But I was too thrilled to be making a film to let that last long.”
The film is Away From Her, a heartbreaking domestic drama starring Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent as a couple whose marriage is threatened when the wife begins to show symptoms of Alzheimer’s. As her memory becomes increasingly fractured, ancient infidelities are recalled and finally, she seems to forget him completely. Adapted by Sarah and author Alice Munro from the short story, The Bear Came Over The Mountain, it’s an odd choice for a first-time filmmaker in her 20s.
“Maybe,” she smiles. “But it was the most profound love story I had ever read. I was so moved by it. I kept returning to it because I couldn’t grasp the depth of what I was feeling. I just felt I had something to learn from it. It explores a kind of love that we rarely, if ever, talk about. We always think about the beginning of relationships, but it’s more interesting to see what happens after you’ve failed each other and after life has its way with you. I’m fascinated by how people heal those wounds. I think one of the most devastating things about Alzheimer’s is not just what can be forgotten, but also the wounds that can be reopened. Suddenly, 20 years of processing and healing can just disappear.”
I’m glad she’s still set on such unconventional artistic choices. After all, why break the habit of a lifetime? As the 11-year-old star of TV hit The Road To Avonlea, she quit after six years as ‘Canada’s Sweetheart’ in protest against the Americanization of the series after it was picked up by the Disney Channel. She remains reputedly blacklisted by the House of Mouse.
“I don’t even remember it all that well,” she laughs. “I know there was an incident where they asked me to take off a peace badge during the first Gulf War. It’s all a blur by now.”
In practise, this only served to strengthen her political resolve. By her teens she was prominent member of the left-wing New Democratic Party and she lost several teeth to riot police while protesting against the Provincial Progressive Conservative government in 1995.
She remains a keen activist, but isn’t this just the sort of messed up, non-conformist behaviour we should expect from a former child star?
“Probably,” she says. “I’d certainly be adamant if my children wanted to act. Do I think it’s the best way for children to grow up? Probably not. Do I think it puts children in really problematic and difficult situations? You bet. At the same time, I’ve ended up with a life I’m really grateful for, so I wouldn’t want to undo anything that got me here.”
But could anyone have stopped her? At 15 she had moved her boyfriend into her dad’s house (her mother sadly passed away when Sarah was 11). When she was filming Guinevere in 1999, more scurrilous publications linked her with co-star Stephen Rea. These surely sound like the conquests of a girl who won’t take no for an answer.
“Well, it sounds really hypocritical,” she says. “But it’s not what I would want for my daughter. I was absolutely too young for a relationship at that point. But, you know, growing up is all about putting yourself in situations when you shouldn’t be.”
In stark contrast to Katie Holmes, her co-star from Go, Ms. Polley has purposely shied away from hyper-global-mega-stardom. When she refused the role of Penny Lane in Almost Famous, a part written specifically for her, Brad Pitt promptly pulled out and writer-director Cameron Crowe was tempted to cancel the entire project. It cost her a regular spot on the front of the National Enquirer but a smart girl was never going to be content essaying the hooker with the heart of gold when she could return home to Canada to work in cerebral no-budgeter The Law Of Enclosures.
“I really didn’t think Penny Lane was a suitable role model,” explains Sarah. “I didn’t want the life that would come with her either. I knew the person who played that part would have this whole celebrity life. And the idea of a girl being the film’s hero when her life is just spent following around after some guys? What does she want to do with her own life? That’s what I’d want to know. Depressing.”
So you never regrets passing up a life in Hollywood?
“I think at this point in my life I’m more grateful for that than anything else. I would have lost out on so much.”
Good for her. Taking the road less travelled, she’s continued to wow audiences with smaller Canadian films and is currently happily married to film editor David Warmsby.
“We’ve been friends for eight years and married for four. He’s such a big part of me. And he’s my editor so there’s no getting away from him.”
Fans of Sarah’s work for may not be surprised by the prominence of snow in her own debut feature. What is with Sarah Polley and that particular white powder substance?
“I know, I know,” she says. “I grew up in films with snow. Maybe I’m only happy in a really bleak environment.”
Away From Her is released April 27.