WHAT MAISIE KNEW

US, 2013, 99 minutes, Colour.
Julianne Moore, Steve Coogan, , Onata Aprile, Alexander Skarsgaard, Johanna Vanderham.
Directed by Scott Mc Gehee and David Siegel.

Looking at What Maisie Knew, it seems very much a 21st century story of marriage and divorce, court decisions about custody of a child and the repercussions for the life of the child and bonding with parents and adults. In fact, it is quite an interesting and emotionally-testing picture of these issues.

However, it may come as a surprise to find that this film is based on a novel by American author Henry James. And that it was written in 1897. In the 1980s and 1990s there was a spate of rather elegant films based on Henry James novels: The Europeans, The Bostonians, Portrait of a Lady, The Golden Bowl. This adaptation, however, brings it into the present and reminds us that the issues have been significant for a long time.

The setting is New York City with quite some attention to detail of the locations. The Maisie of the title is a six year old girl, played with intelligence and screen presence by Onata Aprile. She has had a career in film and television before this, but What Maisie Knew should ensure her being signed for many more films.

Her parents are played by Julianne Moore and Steve Coogan. They are alienated, not shielding their hostility at all from their little daughter. They go to court and are allowed to have their daughter for custody, ten days at a time. Maisie is loving to both her parents. However, the audience can see very quickly that they are not particularly lovable, that they use their daughter as an anchor in the chaos of their own lives, and, when the chips are down, they will choose their own life rather than that of their daughter. Julianne Moore is an ageing singer who does recordings and goes on tour. Steve Coogan is a businessman whose work takes him around the world, ensuring substantial absences. Then, whether for love or for convenience or a mixture of both, each of the parents gets married again. The father marries the nanny. The mother picks up a roadie who works as a barman.

The irony of the film is that Maisie is quite astute in picking up the vibes from her parents while still having the attitudes and behaviour of a six year old.

Initially, the audience may be critical of the nanny who has looked after Maisie and then marries her father. The audience may also be less than interested in the barman who seems just a convenient adjunct for his new wife.

The charm of the film, and relief and counterbalance to the behaviour of the parents, is the way that both nanny and barman care for Maisie and become her substitute parents. Joanna Olderham shows the nanny to be somewhat young and inexperienced, disillusioned by her marriage, but with a loving devotion to Maisie even in very difficult and complicated situations. Alexander Skarsgaard looks young and rather callow initially and audiences would naturally be suspicious of him. However, he is a man of charm, of integrity, of care for Maisie with an instinctive way of knowing how to relate to her. Maisie is very lucky in having these two care for her and show adult and parental love for her.

The film was written and directed by the team of Scott Mc Gehee and David Siegel who have made several interesting and emotionally complex films like The Deep End, The Bee Season and Uncertainty.

In an age where child protection is of paramount concern and where alienated parents can go their own way and neglect their children, this is a film which shows the power of the presence of a mother figure and a father figure in a child’s life.

1. The film based on a story by Henry James, What Maisie Saw? The adaptation from the 1890s to the 21st century? How much the same? How much changed?

2. The contemporary feel of the film, New York City, the world of singers, theatre, their entourage, travelling, performances? Of businessman and their travels?

3. A story of family, bickering husband and wife, the going to court, issues of custody, remarriage, neglecting the child while professing love for the child?

4. The characters seen by the young Maisie? Not the whole story, not the details of the life of husband and wife, but the glimpses that she saw? Putting things together? Her being left with Margo and Lincoln? Getting to know them, love them, depend on them? And deciding against her parents, especially her mother?

5. The city, homes, the affluent world, the world of singers, business? The score?

6. Maisie as the centre, the title and her perspective on her parents? Age, limited experience, with her mother, her mother’s carelessness while professing love, the father, the separations, leaving her on the sidewalk and going in the taxi, his travels? The deceits? New relationships, new marriages?

7. Maisie’s life, at home, being left with Margo, going to the school, the issue of picking her up? Lincoln, taking her to the bar, to the house at the sea? Maisie and her reaction to her father marrying Margo? Her mother’s absence, taking up with Lincoln? Catching them?

8. Susanna, the reason for her marrying, clashes with her husband, her tantrums, her career, the quality of her singing, her entourage, style, the separation, the custody issues, her not being able to fulfil her roles? Lincoln, her moods, her going on tour, the absences and their effect, her sudden returns, the declarations, not following them through? Her being pained and Maisie’s rejection?

9. Maisie’s father, love for his daughter, but self-centred, his absences, in the court, issues of custody, marrying Margo, relying on her to take care of Maisie? Ignoring his responsibilities?

10. Margo, the initial situation, pleasant, with Maisie, loving and trusting? The separation? Her relationship with Belial, going with him, the new home, the new responsibilities, Belial over-relying on her, her having to cope? Her responsibilities for Maisie? Especially at school? Accommodation and her mother as unreliable? The meeting with Lincoln, at the school, the getting to know each other, sharing the responsibilities?

11. Lincoln, his role with the band, waiting in the bar? With Susanna, the relationship, the marriage, her tiring of him? His being with Maisie, picking her up, with Margo having to cope with the parents’ unreliability?

12. The house at the sea, Lincoln and Margo having to combine, the life with Maisie, gifts, toys, playing? Her happiness with them? Seeing them happily together and loving? The arrival of her mother, her plea, Maisie refusing?

13. Maisie’s future, relationship with her parents? The house by the sea? Her substitute parents?

14. Images of selfishness, self-centredness, the effect on a child?