Stanley Tucci & Colin Firth Play a Troubled Couple in This Heartbreaking Romance (2024)

A strange trend that has emerged within the past two decades is the notion of a romantic story centered on a relationship in which one character is diagnosed with a potentially life-threatening illness. Seemingly, this would allow for a mature take on the romantic drama, but it often descends into an absurd recitation of clichés. The issue with films like The Fault in Our Stars or Me Before You is that the subplot surrounding the character's illness is treated as more important than the characters, and seeks to manipulate the audience from the very moment that the characters are first introduced. However, the underrated romantic drama Supernova takes a more reflective look at what it’s like to be in a relationship with a partner who has been diagnosed with dementia, and features some of the finest performances of both Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci's careers.

It’s not necessarily hard to understand why Supernova was largely forgotten after its original release. Despite positive reviews at the San Sebastián Film Festival during the fall of 2020, it was only given a limited theatrical release in the United States the following January. However, Supernova is a must-watch examination of the power of love, and how a couples’ relationship can be challenged by devastating circ*mstances.

Supernova

Sam and Tusker, partners of 20 years, are traveling across England in their old RV visiting friends, family and places from their past. Since Tusker was diagnosed with early-onset dementia two years ago, their time together is the most important thing they have. As the trip progresses, however, their ideas for the future clash, secrets come out, and their love for each other is tested as never before. Ultimately, they must confront the question of what it means to love one another in the face of Tusker’s illness.

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Run Time

1 hr 33 min

Director

Harry Macqueen

Release Date

September 22, 2020

Actors

Colin Firth, Stanley Tucci

What Is 'Supernova' About?

Written and directed by former actor Harry Macqueen, Supernova explores a middle-aged couple's crisis of confidenceas they attend a road trip to England’s Lake District in order to meet up with their respective extended family members. Sam (Colin Firth) is a very respected musician who has begun preparing for what he claims will be the final piano concert of his career. Despite his dedication to his craft, Sam’s attention is distracted by the ongoing health issues that his partner Tusker (Stanley Tucci) is experiencing. Tusker is a talented author who has been diagnosed with dementia. While Tusker has attempted to mask the more debilitating ramifications of his disease from his family, Sam realizes that the side effects are far more serious than he’s letting on. As they prepare to take their relationship to the next level, Sam and Tusker are forced to face a series of uncomfortable questions about how long they have left.

The brilliance of Supernova is that it avoids the expository dumps that are common in these sorts of films that are centered on illness. The film simply explores a few days in the life of Sam and Tusker in a way that feels very natural; it’s only through paying attention that the viewer will realize that Tusker’s mannerisms are slightly “off,” and that he is often forgetting things that he did moments ago. This tension bursts to the surface in one of the film’s most devastating scenes, in which Sam has to read Tusker’s toast, which is dedicated to him, at a dinner party because Tusker is having a hard time getting through it himself. Hearing Tusker’s words come out of Sam’s mouth is gut-wrenching, as both characters are attempting to gauge each other's reactions in real time.

Supernova gives its audience the opportunity to fall in love with both characters before it begins taking its dark turn. It’s critical that this is a couple who has already spent decades with each other; there’s an entire history of happy memories that are vaguely hinted at through off-handed references and in-jokes. It’s also one of the stronger examples of LGBTQIA+ representation in recent memory, as it’s a film about an older gay couple that doesn’t need to highlight the characters’ sexuality or make it appear to be "abnormal" because their love comes through so naturally.

'Supernova' Examines Perseverance in Relationships

Supernova allows the characters to have a well-reasoned discussion about a horrific decision, as Tusker considers dying by suicide before his memories are completely lost. In Tusker’s mind, this would allow him to die while still remembering his lover’s face, and could spare Sam years of having to care for someone who no longer recognizes him. It’s easy to see why both characters feel so strongly about their positions, and how they are both inherently selfless. Tusker wants to remove the burden from Sam’s life, but Sam won’t be content until they fight to the end. It’s a mature debate about death that never feels superficial or manipulative.

Supernova’s relative simplicity is its strongest aspect, as the film does not spend much time focusing on characters other than Tusker and Sam. It would have been easy to insert another mitigating factor that puts more pressure on Tusker to make a decision, but Macqueen lets the story play out to its natural end. The film also never attempts to make any overarching statements that would apply to all of its audience; rather, it examines what decision is best for Tusker and Sam in this specific situation. The intimate examination of an older couple’s lifelong relationship, which is often ignored in mainstream Hollywood films, makes Supernova feel like even more of a positive anomaly.

'Supernova' Shows a Different Side of Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci

Macqueen’s screenplay is already quite brilliant, but Supernova succeeds in showing different types of personas for both Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci. Firth has played romantic leads several times before, but putting him in a position in which he needed to be far more serious than Love Actually or Mamma Mia! showed just how versatile of an actor he can be. Similarly, Tucci is a lifelong character actor who often serves as a scene-stealer, yet finally managed to secure a beautiful lead role in Supernova.

Supernova is available to rent on Prime Video in the U.S.

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