Review of Infinitely Polar Bear (2014) by Clem A — 08 Aug 2015

INFINITELY POLAR BEAR-2015(R)-Aug. 8.

By:The Movie Guy.

Infinitely Polar Bear is the touching & bittersweet true story of father's reconnection with his family after being diagnosed & struggling with bi-polar disorder. In 1978, Cameron "Cam" Stuart (Mark Ruffalo) has a manic breakdown & is sent to a mental hospital forcing his wife, Maggie (Zoe Saldana) & their two young daughters, Amelia (Imogene Wolodarsky) & Faith (Ashley Aufderheide) to move from their countryside home to a cramped apartment in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Unable to find a decent job & looking to build a better life for their daughters, Maggie applies & is accepted to the MBA program at Columbia University in New York. Maggie recruits Cam (who is now out of the hospital) to take care of the girls while she finishes her degree. Hoping to build a routine for himself, Cam agrees to care for the girls, but he quickly finds out it isn't as easy as he thought it would be especially when Amelia & Faith test how far they can push their dad's patience. For the next eighteen months, Cam will learn how to be a father to his two spirited daughters & find purpose in life. Infinitely Polar Bear was written by Maya Forbes who makes her directorial debut with this sometimes light-hearted but also painful look at a family's enduring love while struggling though difficult times. The performances from Mark Ruffalo, Zoe Saldana & newcomers, Imogene Wolodarsky & Ashley Aufderheide were phenomenal & evoked compassion for each member of the family. The film is set in 1978, & addresses not only the issues of bi-polar disorder but mixed race marriages & the challenges women faced bucking the traditional roles assigned to them. MUST-SEE FILM.