Scar Tissue

Sure, you could call this a poor man's version of Sarah Polley's masterpiece, Awawy From Her, but this film deserves a chance on its own. Taken as it is - an earlier, relatively low-budget, made-for-TV feature - Scar Tissue isn't half bad. The script is tasteful and believable, and Roberta Maxwell and Shawn Doyle in the main roles are both excellent. Sure, it's predictable and the weepy Hollywood score doesn't help, but it's also engaging, touching and simple in the right ways...especially given the fact that there's only 3 primary locations and six main actors. This film furthers its significance in Canadian cinema by having Ignatief's '93 novel as its inspiration. Despite the notable actors and source material, it seems to have dropped off the face of the earth. It was released on DVD in 2002 but is increasingly hard to track down. While it may not be worth the premium prices to dig one up, it's definitely better than the majority of made for TV fare.

There are not many good films about the Alzheimer's Disease. There still isn't. CBC presented "Scar Tissue" last year but it is largely a disappointment. It does star some well respected actors like Roberta Maxwell, Paul Hecht and the ubiquitous Aidan Devine, but the script is weak and hackneyed and their skills are wasted in a vapour. Sadly, this film about Alzheimer's is forgettable.