Tusker and Sam have been together for over twenty years. Tusker is an author and Sam, a pianist and composer. After Tusker finds out that he has early onset dementia, the couple decides to take a road trip around the United Kingdom to visit their favourite places. Tusker\u2019s dementia progresses throughout the film, and it is revealed that he has been trying to hide this progression from Sam. After a party with their family and friends, Sam discovers that Tusker has recorded a verbal suicide note and acquired a fatal dose of medication to end his life. In the recording, he states that he intends to do it soon, while Sam is performing Piano at his upcoming, self-professed, last ever performance. Sam confronts Tusker and tells him that he intends to care for him into old age, and that he does not want Tusker to \u2018\u201clet him off the hook\u2019\u201d. After the confrontation, Sam comes to understand Tusker\u2019s reasons for wanting to end his life before he is fully dependent on others, and states that he will allow him to do it if he can be present for his final moments.<\/p>
Supernova is set in the United Kingdom, within the context of the Suicide Act of 1961 which criminalized any attempt to assist in the suicide of another person. Implicitly, this film argues for the decriminalization of suicide, and perhaps even for the legalization of euthanasia. The Suicide Act contributes to Tusker\u2019s desire to die alone in order to protect Sam from prosecution: If Sam is performing in front of an audience at the time of Tusker\u2019s death, he is guaranteed an alibi and more likely to be found innocent of any involvement with Tusker\u2019s actions. The film thus suggests that individuals with degenerative illnesses who wish to end their lives are faced with a difficult decision: they must either choose to have their family present at the time of their death, risking their prosecution under the Suicide Act, or to die alone. The film also illustrates that Tusker chooses to end his life when he is still capable of carrying out his plan unaided, potentially ending his life earlier than he otherwise would have had assisted death been legal.<\/p>","cover":{"ratio":1.7205882352941177515504023176617920398712158203125,"url":"https:\/\/assistedlab.ch\/media\/pages\/visual\/supernova\/ad51c6bf42-1713881215\/picture1-2410x-q90.jpg","caption":"\u00a9 Zadi Diaz, Stanley Tucci, Flickr, 2010"},"toggles":[{"title":"Suggested citation","list":[{"text":"Supernova, Assisted Lab\u2019s Living Archive of Assisted Dying, 10 April 2024 ","link":null,"pathname":null}]},{"title":"Reviews","list":[{"text":"Film review: Supernova takes a beautifully nuanced look at aging, loyalty, and love, Create a Stir, 2021","link":"https:\/\/www.createastir.ca\/articles\/supernova-flm-review","pathname":"createastir.ca"},{"text":"Supernova review \u2013 a touching long goodbye from Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci, The Guardian, 2021","link":"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/film\/2021\/jun\/27\/supernova-review-colin-firth-stanley-tucci-dementia-road-trip-drama","pathname":"theguardian.com"},{"text":"\u2018Supernova\u2019 Review: On the Road, to a Heartbreaking Destination, The New York Times, 2021","link":"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/01\/28\/movies\/supernova-review.html","pathname":"nytimes.com"},{"text":"The Intimate, Quietly Moving \u2018Supernova\u2019 Lets Its Stars Shine, NPR, 2021","link":"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2021\/02\/16\/965334541\/the-intimate-quietly-moving-supernova-lets-its-stars-shine","pathname":"npr.org"},{"text":"\u2018Supernova\u2019 Review: Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci Gently Smash Your Heart to Smithereens, Variety, 2020","link":"https:\/\/variety.com\/2020\/film\/reviews\/supernova-review-colin-firth-and-stanley-tucci-gently-smash-your-heart-to-smithereens-1234778962\/","pathname":"variety.com"}]},{"title":"Media citations","list":[{"text":"How playing a person with early-onset dementia intensified Stanley Tucci\u2019s fears of aging and death, CBC, 2021","link":"https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/radio\/q\/thursday-feb-18-2021-stanley-tucci-angeline-tetteh-wayoe-and-more-1.5908656\/how-playing-a-person-with-early-onset-dementia-intensified-stanley-tucci-s-fears-of-aging-and-death-1.5908662","pathname":"cbc.ca"},{"text":"It Is Very Sad to Watch Stanley Tucci Die: On \u2018Supernova,\u2019 the \u2018Gay Roles\u2019 Debate, and His Mortality, The Daily Beast, 2020","link":"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/it-is-very-sad-to-watch-stanley-tucci-die-on-supernova-the-gay-roles-debate-and-his-mortality","pathname":"thedailybeast.com"},{"text":"Stanley Tucci talks switching roles on \u2018Supernova\u2019 and how \u2018death is part of the daily conversation\u2019, Screen Daily, 2021","link":"https:\/\/www.screendaily.com\/features\/stanley-tucci-talks-switching-roles-on-supernova-and-how-death-is-part-of-the-daily-conversation\/5157219.article","pathname":"screendaily.com"},{"text":"Supernova director Harry McQueen on \u2018quietly revolutionary\u2019 gay romance and casting with \u2018integrity\u2019, Pink News, 2021","link":"https:\/\/www.thepinknews.com\/2021\/06\/25\/supernova-director-harry-macqueen-colin-firth-stanley-tucci-dementia-gay-lgbt\/","pathname":"thepinknews.com"},{"text":"Gay couple navigates dementia in \u2018Supernova\u2019, Philadelphia Gay News, 2021","link":"https:\/\/epgn.com\/2021\/01\/25\/gay-couple-navigates-dementia-in-supernova\/","pathname":"epgn.com"},{"text":"Supernova star Stanley Tucci: \u2018Dementia is moving and disturbing and tragic\u2019, The Independent, 2021","link":"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/arts-entertainment\/films\/features\/stanley-tucci-interview-supernova-colin-firth-b1870483.html","pathname":"independent.co.uk"}]},{"title":"Interest Group citations","list":[{"text":"\u2018Supernova\u2019 is an informed, touching film about love and loss in the face of young onset dementia, DementiaUK, 2021","link":"https:\/\/www.dementiauk.org\/news\/supernova-informed-touching-film-love-loss-face-young-onset-dementia\/","pathname":"dementiauk.org"},{"text":"Supernova\u2019s director Harry Macqueen on the film\u2019s touching depiction of dementia, Alzheimer\u2019s Society, 2021","link":"https:\/\/www.alzheimers.org.uk\/blog\/supernova-film-director-harry-macqueen-dementia","pathname":"alzheimers.org.uk"},{"text":"Stanley Tucci Explores the Landscape of Love and Early Dementia, AARP, 2021","link":"https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/entertainment\/movies-for-grownups\/info-2021\/stanley-tucci-supernova-interview.html","pathname":"aarp.org"},{"text":"British drama film \u2018\u201cSupernova\u2019\u201d goes on US release, Alzheimer Europe, 2021","link":"https:\/\/www.alzheimer-europe.org\/news\/british-drama-film-supernova-goes-us-release","pathname":"alzheimer-europe.org"},{"text":"Supernova Interview: In Conversation with Director Harry Macqueen and RDS Member Lori Hayden, Rare Dementia Support, 2021","link":"https:\/\/www.raredementiasupport.org\/news\/supernova-interview\/","pathname":"raredementiasupport.org"},{"text":"Alzheimer\u2019s Disease Gets the Silver Screen Treatment, Bloomfield Mental Health Services, 2021","link":"https:\/\/www.bloomfield.ie\/alzheimers-disease-gets-the-silver-screen-treatment\/","pathname":"bloomfield.ie"}]}]}