Maudie 2016

     This film is based on a true story.  Maud is also the subject of the book The Illuminated Life of Maud Lewis and the stage play A Happy Heart: The Maud Lewis Story.  The setting of this film is rural Nova Scotia of the 1930’s.  Maud Dowley has rheumatoid arthritis and she lives with her Aunt Ida.  Maud is very thin, she has a different walk because of her legs and most people think she is stupid and incapable?  Her Aunt Ida believes this and her brother Charlie thinks the same thing.  Charlie comes to see Aunt Ida and Maud.  He brings some of Maud’s belongings from the house of their parents.  He has sold the house because it was left to him in their will.  Of course, Maud’s parents also thought she was incapable?  Maud is very disappointed about the sale of the family home and she decides to take a job.  Everett Lewis comes into the store and he posts a job notice for a housekeeper.  He’s a poor fisherman living outside of town.  Maud walks to his home and talks to him about the job.  She agrees to room and board plus 25 cents a week.  Aunt Ida is appalled and there is a LOT of gossip in the town!!

     I thought this film was very interesting and moving.  Maud had a rough life growing up, living with her aunt and living with Everett.  As an adult, the children in the area would throw rocks at her?  She was very talented and prolific as a painter.   No one she encountered could see beyond her physical disabilities until her paintings started be seen and to earn money.  The paintings were a way to express herself and an outlet instead of interaction with people.  She was invisible except to suffer ridicule and shaming.   5* (I really loved this movie)

115 min, Bio directed by Aisling Walsh with Sally Hawkins, Ethan Hawke, Zachary Bennett, Gabrielle Rose, Lawrence Barry, Ethan Hawke, Greg Malone, Billy MacLellan, Kari Matchett, Marthe Bernard, David Feehan, Nik Sexton.

Note:  Imdb 7.7 out of 10, 89% critic 89% audience on Rotten Tomatoes,
Amazon 4.8* out of 5* with 226 reviews, Roger Ebert 3 ½*, Metacritic 65 out of 100 with 35 critics 7.4 out of 10 with 34 reviews.

Special Note:  This film project was in development for thirteen years.  The entire replica of Everett’s house was built for production.  The fully restored house of Maud and Everett Lewis is on permanent display in Halifax at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.  It was saved from deterioration by a group of concerned local citizens and they struggled for 25 years to maintain the house.  Sally Hawkins became so immersed in the character of Maud that she did stretching and yoga to physically and mentally set aside the character of Maud Lewis.  Filmed in six weeks in autumn of 2015 and then January 2016 for the winter scenes.  Presented at the opening gala of the 2016 Vancouver International Film Festival and won the Super Channel People’s Choice Award, the top audience award at the festival for feature films.