Writing for '' Variety '' , Dennis Harvey said " '' Necessities '' knows just how to eke maximum poignancy from its events without seeming to manipulate for tearjerking effect . " Dan Kois , writing for '' The Washington Post '' , called the film " thoughtful and , especially at its end , quite touching , " but found it unoriginal and blandly directed . In '' The Chicago Reader '' , Cliff Doerksen said parts of the film appear to be no better than a TV movie , " but the acting is understated and strong . " Canada submitted the film for consideration for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film , one of the rare Canadian selections to feature a substantial amount of Inuktitut , following '' Atanarjuat : The Fast Runner '' . In January 2009 , Academy members shortlisted the film among nine for the 81st Academy Awards , but it was not nominated . It received the most nominations at the 29th Genie Awards , with eight
29th Genie Awards
29th Genie Awards
The Necessities of Life