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Infinitely Polar Bear

Play trailer Poster for Infinitely Polar Bear R 2015 1h 27m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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83% Tomatometer 118 Reviews 72% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
1978. While most fathers spend their days at work, CAM STUART (Mark Ruffalo) is more likely to be found mushroom-hunting, cooking elaborate meals, or working on one of his many half-completed projects. His family's wealth keeps his family just barely afloat, while Cam struggles to live with manic depression. When Cam has a manic breakdown that lands him in a mental hospital, his wife MAGGIE (Zoe Saldana) and their two young daughters, AMELIA and FAITH, are forced to leave their house in the country and move into a cramped apartment in Cambridge, where Maggie tries to find a decent job, with no luck. Broke, stressed, and overwhelmed, Maggie applies to business school and is accepted to Columbia University's MBA program. Seeing this as her chance to build a better life for their daughters, Maggie asks Cam to become the primary caregiver for the girls while she completes her degree in New York. After all, routine is what the doctor ordered and the girls miss their dad. Cam agrees, hoping to rebuild his family. But the two spirited girls are not interested in making things easy for him. With Maggie away in New York, Cam quickly realizes that he's in over his head. Over the course of the next 18 months, as Maggie rushes to complete her degree, he learns, through trial and a lot of error, how to take care of his precocious daughters as well as himself. After years of struggling to find his place in the world, Cam may finally have found where he fits in.
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Infinitely Polar Bear

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Critics Consensus

Infinitely Polar Bear handles its thorny themes with a somewhat troublesomely light touch, but Mark Ruffalo's complex performance keeps the drama solidly grounded.

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Critics Reviews

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Emma Myers IndieWire Jun 20, 2016
B+
Cynics may scoff at the fact that Infinitely Polar Bear glosses some of the filmmaker's darker memories, but they'll need an ice bucket handy if they intend to avoid its warmth altogether. Go to Full Review Tom Long Detroit News Jul 28, 2015
B
Ruffalo is generally wonderful at finding the tone and mood of a character and holding to it; here he has to bounce about, but again he latches onto a consistent energy that makes Cameron a singular life force. Go to Full Review Calvin Wilson St. Louis Post-Dispatch Jul 23, 2015
3.5/4
"Infinitely Polar Bear" is a much-needed reminder that the realm of film is still a place to encounter something other than comic-book scenarios. Go to Full Review Keith Garlington Keith & the Movies Aug 22, 2022
4/5
Forbes stays true to the heart and soul of her movie, and her connection to the subject matter shows itself in the pleasing end results. Go to Full Review Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com Sep 12, 2020
3.5/4.0
Ruffalo lives into the character of Cam with a level of honesty and vulnerability that won't much surprise those familiar with Ruffalo's indie work. Go to Full Review Stephen Carty Radio Times Aug 13, 2020
4/5
Ruffalo is incredibly charming, and while Cam's behaviour is often erratic, he is also sweet, funny and endearing. Happily, the same can be said about the film. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Andy O @PLaceHolder Jan 24, 2026 Sorry - not a bad movie. I wanted to like it. But I was distracted by Mark Ruffalo’s seeming one dimension when it comes to acting. I was hopeful that he would bring a little bit of "Poor Things" in to this role. Instead, he’s Mark Ruffalo, the unsurprising, uninteresting, everyday looking guy that inhabits all his other roles. Anyway, there are hundreds of other actors I find more interesting. Dive deeper, Mark. See more Faiz D @RT95588871 May 13, 2025 A heartwarming feel-good movie. See more Munkhjargal A @RT28084692 Jul 23, 2024 In 1978, the young man who appeared in this film disappeared for work as a father. She is in the hospital and her family moves into a small house until she thinks that the same guy will be like this. This movie tells how to overcome such problems in life. very good director managed to direct. See more Bahad j @RT27093708 Jul 22, 2024 I really liked the characters and actions of the actors See more alexandre n @Nekodemus May 12, 2024 I had a hard time watching it cause I've my own mental health issue. It's nice, lovely, well played. See more Georgan G @RT98616417 Sep 25, 2023 What an unflinching look at mental illness and love! This movie touched me deeply. While all the acting was terrific, Ruffalo was perfection. Great film. See more Read all reviews
Infinitely Polar Bear

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Cast & Crew

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Maya Forbes

Director

Mark Ruffalo

Cam

Zoe Saldaña

Maggie

Imogene Wolodarsky

Amelia

Ashley Aufderheide

Faith

Beth Dixon

Pauline Stuart

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Infinitely Polar Bear

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Movie Info

Synopsis 1978. While most fathers spend their days at work, CAM STUART (Mark Ruffalo) is more likely to be found mushroom-hunting, cooking elaborate meals, or working on one of his many half-completed projects. His family's wealth keeps his family just barely afloat, while Cam struggles to live with manic depression. When Cam has a manic breakdown that lands him in a mental hospital, his wife MAGGIE (Zoe Saldana) and their two young daughters, AMELIA and FAITH, are forced to leave their house in the country and move into a cramped apartment in Cambridge, where Maggie tries to find a decent job, with no luck. Broke, stressed, and overwhelmed, Maggie applies to business school and is accepted to Columbia University's MBA program. Seeing this as her chance to build a better life for their daughters, Maggie asks Cam to become the primary caregiver for the girls while she completes her degree in New York. After all, routine is what the doctor ordered and the girls miss their dad. Cam agrees, hoping to rebuild his family. But the two spirited girls are not interested in making things easy for him. With Maggie away in New York, Cam quickly realizes that he's in over his head. Over the course of the next 18 months, as Maggie rushes to complete her degree, he learns, through trial and a lot of error, how to take care of his precocious daughters as well as himself. After years of struggling to find his place in the world, Cam may finally have found where he fits in.
Director
Maya Forbes
Producer
Wallace Wolodarsky, Benji Kohn, Bingo Gubelmann, Sam Bisbee, Galt Niederhoffer
Screenwriter
Maya Forbes
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co
Paper Street Films, Park Pictures
Rating
R (Language)
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 19, 2015, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$1.4M
Runtime
1h 27m
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