My Life Without Me -- c/d?

Saw it last night. While I found it very moving (I did get teary during a couple of scenes) I'm somehow scratching my head over it today.

I liked the screenplay -- I really like the way Isabel Coixet writes dialog, and her characters are all developed quite nicely. We get just enough -- not too much, nor too little.

I think what is troubling me is the conveniences. Shortly after creating her "To Do Before I Die" list, everything falls into place quite nicely. I realize a lot of this is me -- I'm a deeply cynical person who believes that if somebody found out they had 2 months to live, as much as they would like x and y to happen, it might just not. A death sentence doesn't magically make things happen. I'm trying not to let that get in the way of my analysis of the film.

While I think Sarah Polley is a decent actress, I somehow think there could have been more from the performance.

Also, there are a few scenes where minor characters suddenly launch into these very moving stories that seem a bit....forced. Out of place, perhaps. Some of the quirks of these characters -- the waitress who wants to be Cher, the hairdresser obsessed with Milli Vanilli -- they somehow remind me of things we learned in screenwriting class.

Mark Ruffalo is really great. I've only seen him in a few films, but I think he might turn out to be a major talent.

Can anybody help me out here?