Shadowlands

A film about the late-life relationship of the writer C. S. Lewis. Lewis teaches at Oxford, sells a great many books and has an orderly life. He lives with his brother, works in the same rooms and does not talk about his feelings. He lectures on suffering without having suffered. A woman named Joy Gresham writes to him from America. Then she visits. She speaks directly, argues back, and cares nothing for the academic courtesy around him. The relationship begins as a formal arrangement and becomes a real bond. Then Joy is diagnosed. The real subject is the difference between writing about pain and living it. The answers Lewis gave in his own books are not enough for him. Anthony Hopkins plays Lewis and Debra Winger plays Joy; Winger was Oscar-nominated for the role. The source is William Nicholson's play; Richard Attenborough directed. A strong, well-acted film for anyone who likes biographical drama and restrained English storytelling. Before you watch, know this: the narrative is built directly on grief and the last section is heavy.