Still Mine

Octogenarian farmer Craig Morrison (James Cromwell) sets out to build a small single-story house for himself and his ailing wife, Irene (Geneviève Bujold), in this rural Canadian drama. Morrison’s passed-down-from-the-ages approach to construction, however, butts up against an officious building inspector, putting the project in jeopardy. Providing the film’s foundation, Cromwell is adept at revealing emotional layers lurking under the surface of his flannel-clad old-timer. The mounting structure – and the subsequent stop-work orders – frames the couple’s reflections about the approaching uncertainties of their twilight years, which they deliver with humor and affection. Other than a few minor wobbles – why would Craig leave his memory-lapse-prone wife alone this much? – the finished product more than passes inspection.