Where the film really stands out; however, is in its portrayal of the women in Bauman's life. Miranda Richardson is indomitable as Bauman's mother Patty, who struggles with her own demons while pushing her son to accept his responsibility as a symbol of resistance. But it's Tatiana Maslany who challenges the traditional trope of the hero's faithful love interest as Erin Hurley, Bauman's on-again-off-again girlfriend. It was she who Bauman was trying to win back by standing at the marathon finish line; she was the only reason he was near the explosion that day; and wrestling with feelings of guilt, love and sometimes utter disgust, she stays to care for him. But what sets her apart from other loving girlfriend characters is how she stays.