LOS ANGELES (AP) - Becoming big in Hollywood has never been Sarah Polley's agenda. It shows in her acting choices, almost exclusively small, intimate tales made far outside the American studio system. And it shows in the actress' directing debut with Away From Her, a mature, thoughtful but downbeat drama about a woman (Julie Christie) succumbing to Alzheimer's and the impact it has on her husband (Gordon Pinsent).

Movie veteran Eva Marie Saint has fallen for her Don't Come Knocking co-star Sam Shepard after playing his mother in the film. The 71-year-old actress admits she was smitten by the shy star, who has been dating Jessica Lange since 1982. And she even told Lange, who also appears in the film, about her feelings.