Director John Madden is returning to the Toronto International Film Festival for the first time in 16 years with “Onwards and Sideways,” a romantic drama exploring life with Parkinson’s disease. The film, adapted from screenwriter Paul Mayhew-Archer’s personal experience with the condition, marks nearly a decade of development since Madden first encountered the script and recognized its potential despite needing substantial revisions.
The narrative centers on Tony and Emma, portrayed by Rhys Ifans and Laura Linney respectively, who meet by chance on the same day they receive their Parkinson’s diagnosis. Their lives become intertwined as they navigate the revelation that they have approximately five productive years ahead. The story unfolds across five chapters, depicting how their relationship deepens when Tony joins Emma’s suggestion of a Parkinson’s ballet class. Madden describes the chemistry between his leads as remarkably natural, even while they filmed scenes out of sequence and carefully calibrated the physical manifestations of their characters’ conditions.
The production benefited from close collaboration with medical consultants to ensure authentic representation of the disease, particularly important given that Ifans and Linney’s characters experience different symptoms. Mayhew-Archer’s approach to his condition impressed Madden, who notes the screenwriter’s refusal to dwell on his diagnosis while reportedly crediting it as one of life’s greatest experiences.
This festival premiere represents a different path than Madden’s previous major success with “Shakespeare in Love,” which bypassed festivals for a direct theatrical release strategy designed to reach wide audiences.
Originally reported by Variety →
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