Laura Linney Says Parkinson’s Film Changed Her Perspective

NEW YORK: (News Desk) – Laura Linney says her latest film, Onwards and Sideways, stayed with her long after filming ended, leaving her deeply affected by the experience of portraying a woman diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

Speaking to AFP at the Toronto International Film Festival, the American actress said she felt like a different person after completing the drama, describing the experience as deeply unsettling but ultimately positive.

Directed by John Madden, the film follows Emma, played by Linney, and Tony, portrayed by Rhys Ifans, who are both diagnosed with Parkinson’s on the same day. A neurologist tells them they may have “five good years” ahead, bringing the two strangers into an unexpected relationship.

Madden, known for Shakespeare in Love, said the movie was not intended to educate audiences about Parkinson’s disease. Instead, he wanted to explore what might happen when two people suddenly find themselves facing the same life-changing diagnosis.

The director said Parkinson’s still carries considerable stigma, recalling how the disease was once viewed as something that effectively marked the end of a person’s life. He stressed that the reality of living with Parkinson’s has changed considerably.

Madden initially avoided the project because someone close to him had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s. However, when he later received the script again, he was drawn to the work of writer Paul Mayhew-Archer, who also lives with the condition.

According to Madden, the screenplay stood out because it combined humour with a sense of defiance rather than treating the disease solely through sadness.

Mayhew-Archer, who also appears in the film, said serious illnesses do not always have to be portrayed in an entirely serious manner. He argued that finding moments of comedy can help people cope with difficult circumstances.

The project also had a strong impact on Rhys Ifans, who plays a schoolteacher who chooses to keep his diagnosis private. The Welsh actor said the role made him more aware of his own emotional sensitivity.

Both Linney and Ifans faced physical challenges while portraying how their characters’ conditions develop over time. Ifans said the actors became increasingly aware of the responsibility involved in representing people living with Parkinson’s.

Linney similarly stressed the importance of portraying the Parkinson’s community with accuracy, respect and sensitivity.

For the filmmakers and cast, Onwards and Sideways ultimately became a celebration of life rather than simply a story about illness.

Mayhew-Archer, who co-hosts the award-winning podcast Movers and Shakers about living with Parkinson’s, hopes the film will give people with the disease greater confidence and strength while also allowing audiences to laugh.

He encouraged people living with Parkinson’s not to panic or withdraw from life, but to continue moving forward with courage and determination.