Actor Andy Serkis makes his directorial debut with the inspiring true love story of Robin and Diana Cavendish (Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy), an adventurous couple who refuse to give up in the face of a devastating disease.
The press conference for this film takes place on Tuesday, September 12 at 10:45am.
An inspiring true story of love, courage, and determination in the face of harrowing fortunes, the directorial debut of British actor Andy Serkis stars Oscar nominee Andrew Garfield as Robin Cavendish, the activist and innovator who helped make the world a more navigable place for the disabled.
Robin and Diana (The Crown's Claire Foy) fall madly in love, marry, and honeymoon in Kenya, a journey that also provides Robin with an opportunity to tend to his tea brokerage. Jubilation and tragedy arrive in dizzying succession: the couple discovers Diana is pregnant just as Robin, aged 28, is stricken with rapid-onset polio, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down and dependent on a respirator. Robin is hurled into despair, feeling that his life is effectively over — yet his real adventure has only just begun.
Bucking authority by choosing to stay at home and risk death rather than remain confined to a hospital, Robin and Diana undertake a mission to de-marginalize the disabled, campaigning for disability rights and developing transformative technologies, such as respirator wheelchairs and hydraulic lifts.
Witty, big-hearted, and wildly expressive, Garfield gives a tremendously moving performance that is anchored by Foy's rich naturalism, while Serkis — celebrated for his astounding work as Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Caesar in the acclaimed Planet of the Apes reboot — ensures that this story of physical limitations feels fully embodied, alive, and sensuous.
Screenings
Roy Thomson Hall
Scotiabank 1
Winter Garden Theatre
Scotiabank 12