It's the elephant in the theater.

In a sea of hot topics in the U.S., assisted suicide is an uncomfortable fish to fry. (And apparently to make a metaphor out of…) People are speaking out about about it from all sides—pro, con, and religious.

Because we're analyzing a movie and not preaching from a pulpit or a news desk, we're gonna keep things neutral here. But head on over to our section about the "Production Company" for details on how the topic affected the making and reception of the film.

Just remember: even though it got a ton of press, that last scene wasn’t so much about taking a stand on assisted suicide as it was about the relationship between Frankie and Maggie: the difficulty of letting go for him, the pain of losing a “daughter" after losing his own daughter, her pride and her dread about returning to her old helpless self, rather than going out a strong fighter…

Excuse us while we replenish the tissues.