Mark Ruffalo stars in "Infinitely Polar Bear" along with Zoe Saldana, Imogene Wolodarsky, and Ashley Aufderheide, from 2014, directed by first-time director Maya Forbes. Forbes is a very talented woman I hope to be seeing more from as a director - she's already an established writer and producer.The story takes place in Boston in the late 1970s, where Cam Stuart (Ruffalo) lives with his wife Maggie (Saldana) and their children, Amelia and Faith.Cam is bipolar and job problems lead him to a nervous breakdown. He is institutionalized and then moved to a halfway house. Though he comes from a wealthy family, the money is in a trust. Maggie has a tough time making ends meet. She decides to get her MBA and wins a scholarship to Columbia. Cam is doing okay on lithium and is more on an even keel, so Maggie has him move in with the kids while she goes to New York for eighteen months, returning home on weekends. Her plan is to return to Boston after school and get a good job, which has eluded her thus far.It's a tough adjustment. The place is in disarray, Cam constantly embarrasses his kids for either being too friendly with the neighbors or hanging out with them and their friends, not to mention driving around in a pathetic car.What a wonderful movie told with such warmth and humor. The acting is wonderful all around. Both Ruffalo and Saldana are totally likable, and the kids are great - not cloying at all. The title comes from the kids misunderstanding the term "bipolar."Definitely worth viewing - a wonderful film.

I grew up with a manic-depressive father and this movie was spot-on. He wanted to hang around with my friends, he'd play games with me until I was worn out, he embarrassed me with his constant barrage of words-words-words. I knew he loved me and would do anything for me, but I also knew he couldn't be counted on to remember to pick me up at the movies.Certainly not all manic-depressives are the same, but there are some well-known patterns of thought and behavior, and this is a fine example of one of them.

If you love Mark Ruffalo--as I do--this is a must watch film. Everything is excellent: the story, script, casting, locations, costumes.... It is a rare find. I am a parent; I have friends and acquaintances with bipolar disorder. This film tackles those topics effectively and rings true on both fronts. The film is set in the late 1970s and touches on a variety of delicate subject matters for that era: class, wealth and poverty; mental disorders; biracial relationships; education and career opportunities for girls and women. And subjects matters that are still contentious today: disparity in public school districts; career opportunities for working mothers; effective parenting. Overall, this film is fascinating and I highly recommend it.

Review: This is an extremely sweet movie with some great performances from some top actors. Mark Ruffalo, (Cam Stuart) plays a manic depressive father who loves his family very much but his wife Maggie Stuart (Zoe Saldana) finds it hard to deal with his various moods, which cause the family distress. Cam then has a psychotic breakdown, which causes him to be fired from his job and hospitalised for a while, and when he's released, he lives by himself, which takes him away from his loved ones. Maggie struggles to make ends meet and she finally decides to further her education in New York, while Cam looks after his two young girls. While Cam is struggling through there normal, day to day routine whilst dealing with his bipolar disease, Maggie visits the family household every weekend to make sure things are running smoothly. Cam really wants to get the family back together, once Maggie has finished her 18 months training but she soon realises that there are more opportunities in New York. As Cam will not be able to tackle his disease and live in the fast paced city, he decides to stay in Boston and Maggie soon comes to the conclusion that it wouldn't be fair to take kids with her, so they work out a plan which will suit everyone. Its definitely a tear-jerker with emotional scenes throughout and I'm sure a lot of people would be able to relate to the families distressing situation. The chemistry between Saldana and Ruffalo is very realistic and the little girls, Amelia (Imogene Wolodarsky) and Faith (Ashley Aufderheide), are great. Its definitely an emotional drama about a family who make the most out of what they have but if your expecting twists and turns, this is definitely not the movie for you. Enjoyable!Round-Up: Although this movie didn't make its money back at the box office, it's definitely worth a watch. Mark Ruffalo, 48, was brilliant as the doting father, alongside Zoe Saldana, 37, who has starred in huge movies like Avatar, Guardians of the Galaxy, Star Trek and Pirates of the Caribbean. She is due to play Nina Simone in the biopic, Nina and with another Star Trek, Guardians of the Galaxy and Avatar in the pipeline, she has definitely made the right choices in her successful career. Anyway, this is the first movie directed by Maya Forbes but she wrote 12 episodes of the Larry Sanders Show, the Rocker, Monsters vs. Aliens, Diary of a Wimpy Kid and an episode for the People v. O.J. Simpson. For her first project, she done a great job by getting some top actors in this well written drama and it'll be good to see what type of movie she will direct next.Budget: $6.7million Worldwide Gross: $1.8millionI recommend this movie to people who are into their drama/romance/comedies starring Mark Ruffalo, Zoe Saldana, Imogene Wolodarsky and Ashley Aufderheide. 6/10