There isn’t much warmth to the diagnosis handed down by Dr. Ridge (Rory Kinnear) in “Onwards and Sideways” as Emma (Laura Linney) and Tony (Rhys Ifans) learn on the same day they have early signs of Parkinson’s, realizing in the waiting room they might’ve been rushed along in their own appointments since the other was there and that the words said to them were no different. Told they have about “five good years” before the more dire effects really set in, they sit around stunned before they can return home, suddenly have something deeply intimate in common when it doesn’t seem like they’re about to get much sympathy from anyone else, the foundation for a lovely relationship that’s a silver lining to some devastating news.
“Onwards and Sideways” was written by Paul Mayhew-Archer, a contemporary of Richard Curtis (co-writing the TV series “The Vicar of Dibley” together) who contracted the vicious disease himself in 2011, and he applies a considerably more genteel touch than what can be expected at any doctor’s office as he and “Shakespeare in Love” director John Madden team up to follow Emma and Tony over the five years in which their health is supposed to deteriorate. While that may be true to a degree, it isn’t seen as the death sentence that their doctor would make it seem when so much remains unknown about Parkinson’s and it affects each individual differently, as Emma amuses herself by adopting the nickname “Tremma Emma” when she gradually begins to shake while Tony continues on in his work as a school teacher, concealing his condition when he shows no physical symptoms. Rather than the end of something, Mayhew-Archer suggests it’s the start as there’s a whole world out there that cares more than either Emma or Tony could imagine when they are first diagnosed.
The compassion certainly comes across as authentic throughout the lighthearted dramedy, as does the difficulty of relating to others with such an isolating medical condition when played by seasoned pros such as Linney and Ifans, who lend considerable gravitas to a story that could be way too sweet for its own good. There are times Madden and Mayhew-Archer may have a little too much fun, tipping the scales with such scenes as Emma’s insistence on zipping around recklessly in her red Mercedes too much for the taste of Tony’s sister (Monica Dolan). But the grace that generally guides Emma and Tony’s relationship as friends who become lovers all the while dealing privately with losing control over their bodies reminds of the delicate work Madden once did with Judi Dench and Billy Connolly as a queen and her liege in “Mrs. Brown” in striking the right tone for a connection rooted in circumstance.
One of the more endearing touches in the film is Emma’s extension of an invitation to Dr. Ridge to come visit a Parkinson’s ballet class that has helped her become more comfortable with the condition when his own bedside manner could use some work and while it takes some time for him to attend, the opening of the doors for the audience to a real collection of people remaining active with Parkinson’s, notably including Mayhew-Archer himself, is an undeniably touching part of the film. That the real stuff shines through is something that can be said of “Onwards and Sideways” as a whole when it follows a pretty typical formula for a film dealing with a disease that wants to leave an audience with hope, but between the reliably lived-in performances from Linney and Ifans and the places where Mayhew-Archer and Madden can find empathy and humor in dealing with a merciless prognosis, it tends to feel true when it counts.
“Onwards and Sideways” will screen once more at the Toronto Film Festival on September 18th at the Scotiabank at 3 pm.