Maudie Is As Sweet And Lovely As A Well-Done Painting

Art can be such a wonderful escape from the real world. This is by no means a novel concept in the world of storytelling but there's a reason it keeps cropping up so frequently, it really just resonates with people and helps get at the very crux of why we, as a species, have been creating art for so many years now. Since the dawn of time, we've used art as a way to momentarily escape our own surroundings in a healthy and enriching way. I know that's been true for myself personally and a bunch of other people in my life, so why shouldn't it be a recurring template for storytelling, including as a plot point in the new drama Maudie?



For the titular lead character of Maudie, who is played by Sally Hawkins, her ability to paint is used as an escape from her life that's full of strife thanks to her family refusing to let her take control of her life. Their reasoning for being so controlling of Maudie comes down to Maudie being born with a severe physical impairment, which, among other things, makes walking a trying task. Once the house she's been living in has been sold by her brother, she manages to get some independence by getting a job as a housekeeper for Everett Lewis (Ethan Hawke), a gruff guy whose had his own struggles in life that have left him bitter and antisocial.
 
These two don't get off to the best of starts thanks to Everett despising how much help Maudie needs at first while Maudie is understandably distraught at his pervasively cantankerous demeanor. But over time the two do get to know each other better and become closer. Something else that happens as time marches onaward is that Maudie begins to pain on the walls of Everett's humble abode, which gains the interest of the local townsfolk. Suddenly, Maudie has a calling that helps bring in some money for her and Everett, an event that occurs just as these two feel close enough to each other to get married, with the rest of the movie following their marriage to each other and all the strife, joy and paintings that emerge from their life together.

There was an essay in Entertainment Weekly a few years ago written by, I think Mark Harris, where he mentioned one of the best facets of the 2009 film Up was how it's opening sequence on the experience of being married, something that, as he pointed out, many films fail to highlight since most movies are preoccupied with the process of getting married or getting divorced. I imagine he would enjoy Maudie then like I did, as it very much concentrates, over the course of countless years, on how the lives of Maude and Everett are impacted by their marriage. Perhaps many films do fail to focus on the experience of getting married but Maudie shows there's very much compelling storytelling material to be mined here.

Prior to this marriage, we get plenty of examples of these two lead characters heavily contrasting in their personalities and while some of it is very much amusing, Sherry White's screenplay does go too far in some spots in emphasizing the gruff nature of Everett early on in the movie, most noticeably in him hitting Maudie solely for talking out of turn. It's a bit too dark of an event for a movie with this tone to handle and thus the film doesn't really handle it a condemning manner befitting of such a repulsive action. It's a weird note that actually makes it hard to buy their romance at first but luckily the screenplay does create some well-done small-scale events that make it easier to buy their relationship.

The love between these two is depicted not in grandiose speeches or bombastic romantic speeches but rather in heartwarming low-key moments like Everett pushing Maudie around in a cart in a field as the sun sets behind them. That's the kind of lovely moment that both makes their attraction feel real and fits into the more naturalistic environment the story takes place in. When it comes to making the idea of Maudie and Everett a believable couple, it doesn't hurt that we've got two great performances anchoring the movie. Excelling in the leading role is Sally Hawkins, who lends a frail but determined presence to Maudie. Her physical performance is great, I love the way she conveys the timid nature of the character even in the moments where she's just standing in the background and she depicts the characters physical handicap in a realistic manner that feels both tasteful and thoughtful.

Hawkin's also great at creating these kind of one-of-a-kind facial expressions, whether it's her exhibiting some playful glee at having snuck out of her humble abode to go to a dance club or it's her expressing a world of pain at some kind of emotional turmoil. Sally Hawkins is totally excellent in the titular role and Ethan Hawke lends some real depth as a gruff man whose had his own unique kind of hardships he's had to live with. Hawke's great at authentically portraying the brusque exterior of Everett while also hinting at a more vulnerable interior in certain moments that hits ya right in the gut. These are two great performances that help overcome some questionable storytelling choices in establishing the two lead characters relationship and director Aisling Walsh (making her feature film directorial debut here) should be commended for getting such fine performances out of these talented actors as well as getting further props for being at the helm of a movie as lovely and emotionally engaging as Maudie, a well-made romantic tearjerker very much done right.