Indomitable Spirit

Maudie is a quiet little movie that is well worth a trip to your local indie theater.

It's the story of a much loved Canadian folk artist that, honestly, I had never heard of. We begin the story recognizing that there is something wrong with Maud but that is not the focus. The focus is this childlike, tenacious spirit who weathers a difficult life, that includes crippling arthritis, poverty and the lack of a supportive family network, with the help of an old can of paint and a ratty paintbrush.

Sally Hawkins is wonderful and completely convincing as Maud Lewis. Ethan Hawke, who is not a particular favorite of mine, puts in a stellar performance. The movie is not your typical love story where everything seems to be neatly wrapped in a tidy package. It's more a voyeurs view of two people who have been tremendously damaged by this world, emotionally and physically, and how they walk their walk together, to the best of their abilities. The Nova Scotia backdrop is every bit as lovely and as stark as the story

How much you want this fragile little Maud to, somehow, find a knight in shining armor after her family betrays her. Everett (Hawke) is far from that but we do get to witness him slowly fall in love and watch as he puts, albeit grudgingly, Maud's happiness ahead of his own. What we see is the pain and suffering, the love and acceptance.....basically life of two simple yet complex people.

Comments

  1. Debra She Who SeeksJuly 3, 2017 at 9:35 AM

    We love this movie too! Every time I'm in Halifax, I go to the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia which has a permanent Maud Lewis exhibit. Apart from many of her paintings and a couple of videos about her on a continuous loop, the Art Gallery contains her actual painted house! It was disassembled and then reassembled right in the Gallery. It is stunning to see it in real life. If you ever make it to Halifax, it is well worth the trip to see this Exhibit!

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