MAUDIE

Canada/ Ireland, 2017, 117 minutes, Colour.
Sally Hawkins, Ethan Hawke, Gabrielle Rose.
Directed by Aisling Walsh.

Maudie is a portrait of a painter from Nova Scotia, Maudie Lewis. It is based on a true story.

Some commentators have noted that the screenplay simplifies Maudie Lewis’s life, that she had painted early in life, that she had some sales earlier than is shown in the film. She was also a very small woman, suffering severely from rheumatoid arthritis and disfigured spine.

Nevertheless, Sally Hawkins shines as Maudie. A versatile actress, Sally Hawkins made quite an impact in her award-winning performance in Mike Leigh’s Happy Go Lucky. Despite her illness and her hard and harsh life, Maudie emerges so often as happy-go-lucky.

Suffering severely from her childhood, Maudie is offloaded on her maiden aunt, Ida (Gabrielle Rose) by her brother who sells the family house against her knowledge and will. Ida is something of a severe woman who resents having to support Maudie, makes her life extremely restrictive, humiliating her.

An opportunity arises when Maudie goes shopping sees a a notice in the store from a local fisherman-fishmonger, Everett Lewis, played quite intensely and somewhat savagely by Ethan Hawke for help in his house. Maudie answers the notice and walks to his house, not an easy interview, but she perseveres and stays and Everett giving some begrudging consent to her presence, as long as she keeps the house clean and. He tells her that the priority in the house is: me, the dog, the chickens, you.

When Maudie finds some paint, she starts to do pictures on the wall of the house, simple flowers, cats, landscapes. Again Everett is rather begrudging, wanting some wall space without pictures. It is when a woman visiting from New York City calls to the house about the delivery of fish and discovers Maudie’s paintings, buys one, continues to affirm Maudie and promotes her paintings in the US and through the media, life becomes different for Maudie.

To Everett’s bewilderment, visitors come to the house, buying Maudie’s paintings and, especially, the greeting cards, and giving commissions.

There is an emotional development at the end of the film concerning the baby that Maudie had borne when very young and the verdict that it was not healthy. Sad moments for Maudie – but, as the film shows, despite her own illness and disabilities, despite her sufferings, she was a woman of strong spirit and achievement.

1. A portrait of a woman, disabled, with a talent for painting?

2. Nova Scotia, the 1950s, costumes and decor, homes, huts, shops? The countryside? Musical score?

3. The casting Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke? Powerful performances?

4. The prologue, Maudie’s hand, the paintbrush, paints, strokes? Disabled?

5. Maudie, Sally Hawkins’ performance? Age, arthritis, information about the birth of the child and its alleged deformity? Living with aunt Ida? Unwelcome? Charles, his visit, selling the family house, Maudie being upset? Feeling abandoned? Going to shop, seeing the advertisement? Taking? Walking to Everett Lewis’s? The meeting, his criticisms, her thinking him unwelcoming, a cranky man, her staying, doing the work, his being dissatisfied but letting her stay? Her cooking, cleaning, his continued demands and cleanliness?

6. Beginning to paint the walls, the windows? His reaction? Criticisms of the fairies, really birds? His allowing her to paint the wall, keeping a free corner? House arrangements, sleeping arrangements upstairs, the one bed, Maudie’s past experiences and her being wary?

7. Ida, the portrait of Ida, unmarried, older, living alone, begrudging Maudie her life, harsh and restrictive? Her comments, disapproval, meeting Maudie at the shops, the later visits, her illness, finally telling the truth about her child?

8. Maudie, the finding of the paint, using it, Everett and his scraps, signing the paintings?

9. Maudie, the arrangement in the house, the relationship, the issue of sexual relationship, her urging the marriage, the ceremony, the upper room, the bed?

10. The portrait of Everett, a gruff man, fishmonger, his customers, a loner, his associates, the notice, his wanting help? His reaction to people, to Maudie? Her painting? To the idea of marrying her? His priority in the house: me, the dogs, the chickens, you?

11. The woman from New York, the visit to the house, the meeting with Maudie, wanting the fish, seeing the paintings, buying the painting? Her staying in the town, encouraging Maudie, the cards and the variety, the subjects of the painting, the beginning of commissions? The personal impact of the woman on Maudie, friendship? Affirmation?

12. Visitors coming, the publicity, articles, commissions, the sales? Everett and his presence, the impact of this experience, the touch of bewilderment? An acknowledgement of Maudie?

13. The revelation of the truth about her child, Everett and his response to Maudie?
14. Maudie, the portrait, a sad life, happiness, strong spirit, achievement?