Movies have a unique way of connecting with audiences. Some stories leave a lasting impact on the audience, especially when they tap into emotions and life experiences that everyone can relate to. However, along with the stories, it depends on the performances of the actors as well.
Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh are two Academy Award nominees who have delivered some powerful performances in their careers. Garfield’s Hacksaw Ridge and Tick, Tick… Boom! and Pugh’s Midsommar and Little Women are some of the examples. And it looks like they are back to hit the audience’s emotions again.
We Live In Time Mirrors Real-Life Heartbreak
Now that both Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh are involved together in the upcoming film We Live In Time, fans can expect some powerful performances backed by an emotional story. Although the script details are not much available, the film’s premise hints that the story could be as heart-wrenching, if not more so, than La La Land.
We Live In Time has been directed by Brooklyn fame John Crowly. Garfiled is playing the role of a Weetabix employee named Tobias, and Pugh is playing a chef named Almut. Their characters meet for the first time when Almut literally gets in an accident with Tobias.
The film then follows how they deal with their love, family, challenges, and loss. The plot also includes themes of illness and mortality. Crowley always has a knack for telling emotional and relatable stories that make people think about their personal lives, and Nick Payne’s script will help him this time.
The film’s subject matter is more personal to Garfield. In the movie, Pugh’s character is shown battling with cancer, and Garfield lost his mother to pancreatic cancer. The first glimpse and this personal connection are making many fans concerned that it could be too heartbreaking to bear.
Nope, won’t be able to watch this one😭
— Shady Lady Katie (@Lady_StandBy) September 4, 2024
Andrew Garfield’s ability to channel his personal grief into his work is a testament to his strength and artistry. We Live in Time sounds like a deeply emotional project, and it’s powerful that he’s using it to explore and share such a personal experience. This film could be…
— Ali Aziz (@Dr_AliAziz) September 4, 2024
this films gonna destroy me
— lydia 🪩 (@xxixvi) September 4, 2024
I know we will all cry during his interviews, just like we did when he advertised Tick Tick Boom.
— Rachel tkd (@RachelTkd) September 4, 2024
I love him for it and I'm very happy for him.
I won’t be watching this one, I’ve already cried at the trailer.
— Jennifer O (@divajla) September 4, 2024
We Live In Time can be compared to La La Land in some aspects. The latter was loved for the bittersweet portrayal of love and ambition. It made the audience question whether all the sacrifices made by the lead characters were worth it for their ambitions.
Although the story is not available completely, it can be observed that We Live In Time will also deal with that sort of bittersweet emotion. It will also deal with sacrifice and probably loss too, which will make all the sacrifices feel unworthy in a way. But the emotional intensity looks higher in We Live In Time, due to the involvement of family and mortality.
Andrew Garfield’s Personal Grief and Impact on We Live In Time
Andrew Garfield felt personally connected with the project. In an earlier interview with UK’s Channel 4 (via The Guardian), the actor talked about losing his mother to pancreatic cancer in 2019 and how it shaped his personality.
It feels just like a precise agony and for a period of time I didn’t want to, and I wasn’t able to, do anything. I was kind of wasted and the world didn’t make sense, and it still doesn’t, because I miss her greatly, and I hope it never makes sense because I always want to miss her.
In an interview with GQ, Garfield mentioned how “it sharpens an arrow of direction, in some mysterious way.” It looks like the actor has managed to channel those thoughts and emotions on We Live In Time as he expressed his thoughts to Vanity Fair about working on the project.
There’s a communing in the spirit of loss, in the shared experience of loss and love and the cost of loving and being fully alive. So I hope that we can all bond in the courage to do that.
Even Florence Pugh was also emotionally affected while filming. According to Vanity Fair, the actress “felt very grown-up” as she was learning to manage all sorts of heavy emotions as the production was progressing. The film gave an opportunity to let go of the held-back emotions of the actors, which also brought more authenticity to the craft.
We Live In Time will be released in theaters on October 11, 2024.
La La Land is available to stream on Prime Video.
Frequently asked questions
What is We Live In Time about and who stars in it?
We Live In Time stars Andrew Garfield as Tobias, a Weetabix employee, and Florence Pugh as Almut, a chef. Directed by John Crowley from a script by Nick Payne, the film follows the couple after they first meet when Almut hits Tobias in a car accident, tracing their love, family, challenges, and loss. Its themes include illness and mortality, with Pugh’s character battling ovarian cancer.
Why is the film personally meaningful to Andrew Garfield?
The subject matter is personal to Garfield because his mother, Lynn, died of pancreatic cancer in 2019, while Pugh’s character in the film battles ovarian cancer. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Garfield spoke of a communing in the spirit of loss, in the shared experience of loss and love and the cost of loving and being fully alive. The article reports the experience of grief shaped how he approached the role.
When was We Live In Time released and how does it compare to La La Land?
According to the article, We Live In Time was released in theaters on October 11, 2024, while La La Land is available to stream on Prime Video. The piece compares both as bittersweet stories about love, ambition, sacrifice, and loss, but suggests We Live In Time carries higher emotional intensity because it adds themes of family and mortality.
