My Life Without Me vs. My Life

While watching this film, I couldn't help but think of 1993's My Life, with Michael Keaton and Nicole Kidman. It seems like a lot would be made of the obvious similarities, especially the title, but I haven't seen anything on this message board. Both movies are about young adults dying of cancer. In My Life, Keaton's character makes a series of home movies for his unborn child to watch at different times in his life. In My Life Without Me, Sarah Polley's character does virtually the same thing by making birthday recordings for her daughters. They want their children to have an easier life than they had and to know that their parent loved them.

The main difference between the films is the general attitude of each protagonist. Keaton's character wants to be closer to his wife, free himself from the fear of death and leave behind a small legacy. By contrast, Polley's charater distances herself from her husband and uses her sickness as a pass to do any crazy thing she wants. She also chooses to carry the burden of her impending death alone, which could be interpreted as either very brave or very selfish. Both characters are understandably angry, but altogether decent people.

I wonder if the Canadian filmmakers who made My Life Without Me saw the American film and thought, We need a female version of that. The films are essentially companions that explore different possibilities of how a person might cope when faced with their own mortality, but I enjoyed both.