‘Maudie’: The Life of Folk Artist Maud Lewis

Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke deliver the goods in this uplifting drama.
‘Maudie’: The Life of Folk Artist Maud Lewis
Maud Lewis (Sally Hawkins), in "Maudie." Sony Pictures Classics
Michael Clark
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A movie that might have been better served if it had been released in the late fall instead of the spring, the biographical drama “Maudie” still managed to rustle up interest beyond its target art-house demographic, and bank enough praise and accolades to make it on to multiple year-end Top 10 lists. It was my number seven choice for 2017.

A regular on the indie circuit and English stages since the late 1990s, the British-born Sally Hawkins stars as Maud Lewis, a Canadian folk artist afflicted with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis who has led a hard and troubled life, yet never let her condition get the best of her. Her paintings are simple, yet upbeat and emotionally resonant.

Maud Lewis (Sally Hawkins), in "Maudie." (Sony Pictures Classics)
Maud Lewis (Sally Hawkins), in "Maudie." Sony Pictures Classics
Ms. Hawkins approaches the performance with knowing assurance and remarkable understatement. Far too often when playing characters with mental, and/or physical maladies, some actors go heavy and lean in, but Ms. Hawkins goes minimal here. She did the same thing in “The Shape of Water” released later in the year.

Show, Don’t Tell

It helps that first time feature director Aisling Walsh takes the same approach as her leading lady, providing extended long shots of the unforgiving Nova Scotia landscape, while screenwriter Sherry White prefers description over dialogue. If you’re looking for a lot of talk and broad performances, this is not the movie for you.  
Maud Lewis (Sally Hawkins) and Everett (Ethan Hawke), in "Maudie." (Sony Pictures Classics)
Maud Lewis (Sally Hawkins) and Everett (Ethan Hawke), in "Maudie." Sony Pictures Classics
That said, the opening, pre-title sequence is the most verbally active. After the death of their mother, her brother Charles (Zachary Bennett), the sole heir to the estate, tells Maud that she must move out as neither he nor the new occupant, their Aunt Ida (Gabrielle Rose) wish to “take care of her.” They’re kicking her to the curb because they think she will eventually become, not so much a burden, but a bother.
A little proud, Maud overhears an unmarried and apparently illiterate man at the local general store voicing his desire to hire a live-in maid. He’s Everett (Ethan Hawke), a fisherman with old world ways, limited communication skills, and an even worse inability to realize he’s not an ideal employer or companion. Maud applies for the job and, despite Everett’s initial rebuffing, lands the gig.

Knuckle-Dragger

The bulk of the first act has Maud and Everett doing a figurative Kabuki-style song and dance, where she does everything right, he thinks it’s all wrong, but he still keeps her around. Most people will recognize Everett as a mouth-breathing misanthrope. He is a product of his time and environment but, at times, it’s (almost) easy to forgive his frequent knuckle-dragging behavior. Given few if any options, Maud puts up with him, but only to a point, and this is the first glimpse we get of a woman with a unique artistic vision and bending, but not breaking, emotional backbone.

Rarely playing a heavy, Mr. Hawke deserves immense credit for doing so here and not looking for an out or any audience sympathy. Not quite a villain (that would be Charles), Mr. Hawke’s Everett is still a grating foil with a misplaced air of superiority, entitlement, Cro-Magnon ideas of male-female relationships and, eventually, seething jealousy regarding the praise heaped upon Maud.

There are films like this: Someone with raw talent overcomes adversity and becomes rich and famous in their lifetime. But “Maudie” is not one of them. It’s not even close. She chose the path of least resistance, which was really her only option, and she still emerged spiritually and ethically unscathed.

Not Easy

“Maudie” isn’t an easy movie to watch. The sympathetic lead is put through the wringer on a multitude of fronts and never afforded release or even an escape hatch. What Ms. Lewis went through would crush most of us.
Maud Lewis, upon whom the film "Maudie" is based. (Sony Pictures Classics)
Maud Lewis, upon whom the film "Maudie" is based. Sony Pictures Classics

As with most “based on real events” films, “Maudie” alters some facts, changes the chronology of others, and ignores some completely. For instance, Everett’s ultimate fate is never revealed, which was probably a good thing once you find out what eventually happened to him.

Ms. Lewis was as pure a human as any of us could ever know. If your day isn’t going well because a barista got your coffee order wrong or you waited too long in line at the grocery store, step back, take stock, and thank your maker you weren’t tested like Ms. Lewis. You’d likely fold like a deck chair.

Theatrical poster for "Maudie." (Sony Pictures Classics)
Theatrical poster for "Maudie." Sony Pictures Classics
The film is available on home video and to stream on Vudu, Amazon Prime, and Apple TV+.
‘Maudie’ Director: Aisling Walsh Starring: Sally Hawkins, Ethan Hawke, Zachary Bennett, Gabrielle Rose MPAA Rating: PG-13 Running Time: 1 hour, 56 minutes Release Date: June 16, 2017 Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
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Michael Clark
Michael Clark
Author
Originally from the nation's capital, Michael Clark has provided film content to over 30 print and online media outlets. He co-founded the Atlanta Film Critics Circle in 2017 and is a weekly contributor to the Shannon Burke Show on FloridaManRadio.com. Since 1995, Clark has written over 5,000 movie reviews and film-related articles. He favors dark comedy, thrillers, and documentaries.
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