All My Life Parent Guide
This movie manages to avoid the emotional manipulation that so often plagues tales of terminal illness, delivering instead a warm tale of love, dedication, and community..
Parent Movie Review
I’m going to begin this review by admitting that I don’t understand the appeal of weepy romantic movies. The romance part is great, but watching a couple fall in love while knowing that one of them is going to fight (and possibly succumb to) a deadly disease takes the fun out of it for me. Sitting through a movie with a sick knot in my stomach is not my idea of entertainment.
I’m obviously an outlier, because “weepies” are a very popular movie genre and cancer stories are a subgenre all their own. And I must say that despite my discomfort, All My Life is a particularly charming example of the “for better for worse, in sickness or in health” love story.
The movie focuses on two characters: Jenn and Sol (played by Jessica Rothe and Harry Shum Jr.) After the duo meet in a bar, the relationship progresses rapidly and they are soon living together in Jenn’s adorable little apartment. The romantic montages lead up to an even more adorable engagement and everything seems to be going swimmingly until Sol collapses in agony on the bathroom floor.
It’s not a spoiler to tell you that Sol has cancer – it’s in the trailer. In fact, Sol has liver cancer and although he initially seems to be recovering, he is soon faced with a much more frightening diagnosis. As they grapple with the diagnosis, Sol withdraws and Jenn steps up. Rothe here dominates the screen with her portrayal of Jenn. There’s a fierce honesty to her and the ability to love with a blazing intensity. If you’re looking for a movie about the power of love to lift and sustain, this is a good place to start.
All My Life is also a tribute to community. Jenn and Sol are surrounded by friends who are kind and empathetic and who band together to make the couple’s wishes come true before Sol starts a grueling round of chemotherapy.
Thankfully, this movie manages to avoid many of the problems that often plague “sick” movies. It eschews emotional manipulation and handles intense moments with a light touch. Cancer gets surprisingly little screen time – we see a chemo session, there are some pill bottles, Sol complains about side effects – but there aren’t grueling scenes of pain, blood, or medical procedures.
What All My Life delivers is a reminder to all of us that life is unpredictable and we need to “seize the day”. As Jenn says, “A full life can’t be a series of forgotten days. Life is not meant to be lived later.” This courageous young couple (who are based on real people), show us how to live life to the fullest.
Directed by Marc Meyers. Starring Jessica Rothe, Harry Shum Jr., and Marielle Scott. Running time: 93 minutes. Theatrical release December 18, 2020. Updated February 26, 2021Watch the trailer for All My Life
All My Life
Rating & Content Info
Why is All My Life rated PG-13? All My Life is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for brief language.
Violence: A man collapses in pain.
Sexual Content: A man and woman kiss on several occasions. A man and woman are seen lying together in bed with bare shoulders. A woman tells a man she wants sex before dinner. A woman jokes about a phone vibrating in her pants. A man is seen without his shirt. A man dances around wearing a Speedo.
Profanity: There are just under a dozen terms of deity in the film.
Alcohol / Drug Use: All characters drink alcohol frequently both at home and in social situations. A character mentions being hungover.
Page last updated February 26, 2021
All My Life Parents' Guide
For more information about liver cancer or to support research, check out the American Cancer Society here.
To learn more about the real life Jenn and Sol, check out the following links:
Decider: “All My Life” True Story: Meet the Inspirational Couple Behind the Movie
Toofab: What All my Life Stars Learned from Real Life Couple Who Inspired Film
News About "All My Life"
This film is not yet available for review in our area. We will post a review as soon as possible.
Home Video
The most recent home video release of All My Life movie is December 23, 2020. Here are some details…
Related home video titles:
A young woman learns that she has cancer after becoming engaged in I Still Believe. Teenage boys discover that their girlfriends have cancer in Life in a Year and A Walk to Remember. Two teens with cancer meet each other and fall in love in The Fault in Our Stars. Cystic fibrosis keeps a young couple apart from each other in Five Feet Apart. A real life story about a young man with terminal cancer is movingly told in Clouds.
Married couples grapple with cancer in Shadowlands, My Life and Ordinary Love.