Maudie (film)

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Maudie
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAisling Walsh
Written bySherry White
Starring
CinematographyGuy Godfree
Edited byStephen O'Connell
Music byMichael Timmins
Distributed byMongrel Media
Release dates
  • 2 September 2016 (2016-09-02) (Telluride)[1]
  • 14 April 2017 (2017-04-14) (Canada)
  • July 2017 (2017-07) (Ireland)
Running time
116 minutes[2]
Countries
  • Ireland
  • Canada
LanguageEnglish
Budget$5.6 million[3]
Box office$9.7 million[4]

Maudie is a 2016 English-language biographical film directed by Aisling Walsh and starring Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke. A co-production of Ireland and Canada, the film is about the life of artist Maud Lewis, who painted in Nova Scotia. In the story, Maud (Hawkins) struggles with arthritis, memory of a lost child, and a family that doubts her ability, before moving in with a gruff fish peddler (Hawke) as a housekeeper. Despite their differing personalities, they marry as her art gains in popularity. The film was shot in Newfoundland and Labrador, requiring a recreation of Lewis's famously small house.

It was selected to be screened in the Special Presentations section at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival and won a number of awards at other festivals. After festival screenings and wider releases, Maudie received positive reviews. The fact that the film was shot in Newfoundland was the subject of controversy in Lewis' native Nova Scotia. Nevertheless, the popularity of the film sparked a resurgence of interest in Lewis' art.

Plot

In Marshalltown, Nova Scotia, Maud Dowley is an arthritic woman with an Aunt Ida and brother Charles in the 1930s. Maud is shocked to learn that Charles has sold their family home, which their parents had left to him. In the meantime, she is berated by Ida about visiting the local nightclub. Maud had once been impregnated and gave birth, but Charles and Ida told her that the child was deformed and died.

At a store, Maud sees the inarticulate and rough fish peddler Everett Lewis place an advertisement for a cleaning lady. Maud answers the call and takes the position for room and board. Everett's house is very small, and the two share a bed, causing scandal in the town, with gossip that Maud is offering sexual services. While attempting to clean the shack, Maud paints a shelf. She then begins painting flowers and birds on the walls, for aesthetic improvement. She meets one of Everett's customers, Sandra from New York City, who is intrigued by Maud's paintings and buys cards Maud has decorated. She later commissions Maud to make a larger painting for $5.

Maud persuades Everett to marry her, while her paintings receive more exposure in print coverage and sales begin at the house. U.S. Vice President Richard Nixon even contacts the Lewises to purchase one. After the couple appears on TV news, Everett becomes disturbed that local viewers see him as cold and cruel. Ida, increasingly ill, also saw the coverage, and Maud wishes to see her before Ida dies. Ida tells Maud that she is the only Dowley who ever found happiness, and confesses Maud's baby girl did not die. Believing Maud could never care for a child, Charles had adopted the baby out to a family for a price. Maud is devastated, and Everett becomes convinced the relationship has brought nothing but emotional anguish. The two separate.

After Everett and Maud reconcile, Everett takes her to the home of the adoptive family, where Maud sees her grown daughter for the first time. However, Maud's physical state is deteriorating, and she dies at the hospital, telling Everett she was loved.

Production

Development

According to producer Mary Sexton, attempts at a biographical film about Maud Lewis were made for 10 years.[6] After screenwriter Sherry White's work was submitted to director Aisling Walsh for consideration, she opted to commit to the project, claiming she contacted her agent after reading only approximately 30 pages.[7] Walsh said the film "celebrates this woman who was rather amazing". The subject of the film painted despite rheumatoid arthritis, with Walsh remarking, "She worked so hard at it and in such tough conditions sometimes".[8] However, the filmmakers made the decision not to emphasize Lewis' physical conditions, as it was not the entirety of her identity.[7] Walsh also described Lewis' biography as "a very Canadian story, it's a very Nova Scotian story".[8]

The film would be shot in Ireland and Newfoundland rather than Nova Scotia, where Lewis painted, while film production became rarer in Nova Scotia as crews moved to Toronto and British Columbia.[9] Producers believed Newfoundlanders could provide more funding for cinema, while the project also received financial support from Ontario and Ireland, the latter being where Walsh and much of her team were from.[7] The Nova Scotia government reduced its film credit program in 2014, which has also been cited as a reason the film was not shot in the province.[10][11][12]

Casting

Actor Role
Sally Hawkins ... Maud Dowley/Lewis
Ethan Hawke ... Everett Lewis
Kari Matchett ... Sandra
Zachary Bennett ... Charles Dowley
Gabrielle Rose ... Aunt Ida
Greg Malone ... Mr. Hill

Walsh sent actress Sally Hawkins, a hobbyist painter, photographs of Lewis, and Hawkins attempted to imitate Lewis' style in her art.[13] Sean Bean was cast as Everett Lewis, but left the project due to other commitments, and was replaced by Ethan Hawke.[14] Hawke accepted the role for his fondness of Atlantic Canada, owning property in Guysborough, Nova Scotia.[15]

Kari Matchett is a Canadian actress and developed the accent for her New Yorker character after travel to the U.S. Matchett's agent sent her the screenplay, and when Matchett enjoyed it, her agent lobbied persistently for her casting.[16] Zachary Bennett and Gabrielle Rose were also given supporting roles.[17]

Filming

Trinity Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador was used as a filming location.

Maudie was filmed in areas around St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador in fall 2015, with finances from the Newfoundland and Labrador Film Development Corporation.[18] Walsh felt the landscape of Keels and Trinity Bay was reminiscent of the Digby area in the 1930s and 1940s.[10]

In life, Lewis had a very small house, at 10 ft × 12 ft (3.0 m × 3.7 m),[6] and Walsh wished to be accurate in creating a replica, but the recreation of the house had to be enlarged to accommodate a film crew.[18] Walsh personally painted some of the flowers on the walls.[7] The crew also gathered houseflies for weeks to depict an infestation of the house, particularly for the scene where Maud attempts to persuade Everett to buy a screen door.[7]

Release

Director Aisling Walsh and Sally Hawkins at the Berlinale 2017.

Maudie had its world premiere at the 2016 Telluride Film Festival,[19] before screening at major Canadian film festivals, including as a gala at the Atlantic Film Festival,[20] the Calgary International Film Festival,[21] and the Vancouver International Film Festival.[19] It was featured in the Special Presentations section at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival,[22] and was screened at the 2017 Berlin International Film Festival.[10]

The film's wider Canadian theatrical release took place on 14 April 2017 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver.[15] Plans were made for it to screen all weekend in Halifax, during which the newly found painting Portrait of Eddie Barnes and Ed Murphy, Lobster Fishermen, Bay View, N.S. would be on temporary exhibit in the Scotiabank Maud Lewis Gallery located at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.[8] It subsequently opened in Edmonton, Calgary, Montreal, Victoria, British Columbia and Winnipeg on 21 April.[15] Sony Pictures Classics acquired the rights to distribute the film in the U.S. for 16 June.[10] On 27 April, it was showing on 30 screens, half of which were in Atlantic Canada, while Mongrel Media planned releases in the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and Japan by the end of 2017.[23]

Reception

Box office

In Canada, the film grossed $1 million by 3 May, on 76 screens.[24] It placed first in the Atlantic box office, grossing $4,000 during each showing.[25] Mongrel claimed that in some theatres, Maudie outperformed the mainstream action film The Fate of the Furious.[26]

In its first three days in the U.S., Maudie made $49,842 in four theatres in Los Angeles and New York, a decent performance in niche cinema.[27] The film has grossed $6,191,760 in North America and $3,543,354 in other territories, for a worldwide total of $9,735,114.[4]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 88% based on 126 reviews, with an average rating 6.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Maudie's talented cast -- particularly Sally Hawkins in the title role -- breathe much-needed depth into a story that only skims the surface of a fascinating life and talent."[28] On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating, the film has an average score of 65 out of 100, based on 34 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[29]

In Variety, Peter Debruge said the Lewis character stood out for "indefatigable optimism", despite living conditions given her gruff husband and small home.[5] The Hollywood Reporter critic Todd McCarthy commended the photography and Hawkins for "A stellar, warmly persuasive starring turn".[30] Jordan Hoffman rated it three stars in The Guardian, predicting Hawkins would attract much notice for her performance.[31] The New York Times critic Manohla Dargis wrote Maudie overcame viewer skepticism, and cited Hawkins for bringing Lewis out.[32] Alan Scherstuhl, writing for Village Voice, assessed it as "hit-or-miss" but a tear-jerker, praising Hawkins in particular.[33] The A.V. Club's Ignatiy Vishnevetsky said the film lost its momentum in character development over the runtime.[34]

In Canada, Kate Taylor, writing for The Globe and Mail, gave the film three stars, crediting Walsh for making the story moving but not mawkish, for not dwelling on Lewis' physical condition and for communicating the significance of making art.[35] Chris Knight awarded it three and a half stars in the National Post, commending Hawke for a "committed yet unshowy performance".[36] The Toronto Star's Peter Howell gave it three stars, declaring it "award-worthy" and praising Hawkins for "dignity and determination".[37] Luc Boulanger gave it three stars in La Presse, saluting Hawkins and expressing regret Lewis' art was obscure in Quebec.[38] In Ireland, Donald Clarke called it a "wonderful study" in The Irish Times, finding the tone sad and remarking on poverty as subject matter, but said it displayed "benevolence and quiet humanism", and gave it four of five stars.[39] The Irish Independent's Paul Whitington wrote "Maudie cleverly avoids mawkishness and sentiment to give us a raw and pared back version of Lewis's remarkable life".[40]

Accolades

At the 2016 Vancouver International Film Festival, where Maudie was the opening gala,[19] it won the Super Channel People's Choice Award, the top audience award at the festival for feature films.[41][42]

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref(s)
ACTRA Awards 25 February 2017 Outstanding Female Performance Kari Matchett Nominated [43]
Atlantic Film Festival 15–22 September 2016 Best Atlantic Feature Aisling Walsh Won [44]
Best Atlantic Screenwriting Sherry White Won
Canadian Society of Cinematographers 1 April 2017 Theatrical Feature Cinematography Guy Godfree Won [45]
Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival 17–25 September 2016 Best Feature Film Aisling Walsh Won [46]
London Film Critics' Circle 28 January 2018 British Actress of the Year Sally Hawkins Pending [47]
Montclair Film Festival May 2017 Audience Award Aisling Walsh Won [48]
San Diego Film Critics Society 11 December 2017 Best Actress Sally Hawkins Won [49]
Best Supporting Actor Ethan Hawke Nominated [50]
Vancouver International Film Festival 29 September-14 October 2016 People's Choice Award Aisling Walsh Won [42]
Women's Image Network Awards 6 February 2018 Best Film Directed by a Woman Aisling Walsh Pending [51]
Best Feature Film Aisling Walsh Pending
Best Feature Film Actress Sally Hawkins Pending
Writers Guild of Canada 24 April 2017 WGC Award Sherry White Won [52]

Impact

During the 2017 Nova Scotia election campaign, CTV host Steve Murphy asked Premier Stephen McNeil if he rued the reduction of the film credit after Maudie moved to Newfoundland. McNeil replied the production had already moved by the time the decision was made.[9]

The film stimulated a resurgence of interest in Lewis' work, with Consignor in Toronto moving her painting Three Black Cats to more prominent exhibition space in spring 2017 and reporting great attendance.[53] The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia reported 3,134 people came to see Lewis' work and house, relocated there, between March and the beginning of May, an increase from 2,084 the prior year.[25] An Ontario charity auction for a Lewis painting sold for $45,000, surpassing the most previously paid for a Lewis painting, $22,000 in 2009, while Portrait of Eddie Barnes and Ed Murphy, Lobster Fisherman, Bay View, Nova Scotia, estimated to be worth $16,000, sold for more than double.[53] After the theatrical release, prints of London, Ontario artist William Johnson's 1969 portrait of Everett Lewis, Maudie's Window, were also sent to Museum London.[54] Lewis' biographer Lance Woolaver has seen an increase in sales of his book Maud Lewis: The Heart on the Door.[55]

References

  1. ^ "43rd Telluride Film Festival Program Guide" (PDF). Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  2. ^ "Maudie". British Board of Film Classification. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  3. ^ "Maudie – PowerGrind". The Wrap. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  4. ^ a b "Maudie (2016)". The Numbers. Retrieved 22 November 2017.
  5. ^ a b Peter Debruge (2 September 2016). "Film Review: Maudie". Variety. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  6. ^ a b "Maudie set to put Newfoundland on the map, says producer Mary Sexton". CBC News. 28 October 2016. Retrieved 10 April 2017.
  7. ^ a b c d e "Maudie director about response to the film: 'It's what you really hope for and more'". Chronicle Herald. 15 May 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  8. ^ a b c Jones, Colleen (10 April 2017). "Maud Lewis 'a very Canadian story,' says Maudie director". CBC News. Retrieved 10 April 2017.
  9. ^ a b Henderson, Jennifer (26 May 2017). "Correction: Maudie, take three". Halifax Examiner. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  10. ^ a b c d Barnard, Elissa (11 April 2017). "The movie that Maud built". Local Xpress. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  11. ^ Thorne, Tara (12 April 2017). "Maudie: wrongly located, but beautifully shot". The Coast. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  12. ^ Henderson, Jennifer (31 May 2017). "Epilogue, Maudie: Take 4". Halifax Examiner.
  13. ^ Howell, Peter (14 April 2017). "Finding the sophisticated woman behind the 'naive' painter in Maudie". The Toronto Star. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  14. ^ "Ethan Hawke in St. John's working on feature-film Maudie". CBC News. 18 September 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2017.
  15. ^ a b c Staff (11 April 2017). "Ethan Hawke's Nova Scotia connections led him to making 'Maudie'". Global News. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  16. ^ Matchett, Kari (16 June 2017). "Kari Matchett interview". KTLA Morning News. KTLA 5.
  17. ^ Acevedo, Yoselin (5 April 2017). "'Maudie' Trailer: Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke Embark in a Romance in New Biopic — Watch". IndieWire. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  18. ^ a b Wall, Lukas (13 September 2016). "Maudie star Ethan Hawke, director Aisling Walsh praise filming in Atlantic Canada". CBC News. Retrieved 10 April 2017.
  19. ^ a b c Etan Vlessing (7 September 2016). "Ethan Hawke's 'Maudie' to Open Vancouver Film Festival". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  20. ^ "Opening Night Gala: Maudie". Atlantic Film Festival. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  21. ^ Volmers, Eric (21 September 2016). "CIFF rolls out the red carpet to kickstart 2016 festival". The Calgary Herald. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  22. ^ "Maudie". TIFF. 1 September 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  23. ^ Leavitt, Kieran (27 April 2017). "'A lot of pride' makes Maudie a blockbuster in Atlantic Canada". CBC News. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
  24. ^ "Maudie breaks million dollar threshold". Chronicle Herald. 3 May 2017. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  25. ^ a b Berry, Steve (4 May 2017). "Charmed by Maudie, visitors flock to N.S. art gallery featuring Maud Lewis home". CBC News. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  26. ^ "Maudie: Biopic of obscure painter becomes surprise hit". BBC. 30 April 2017. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  27. ^ Brooks, Brian (18 June 2017). "'Maudie', 'The Journey' & 'Hare Krishna' Open Solid – Specialty Box Office". Deadline.com. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  28. ^ "Maudie (2017)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  29. ^ "Maudie reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  30. ^ McCarthy, Todd (11 April 2017). "'Maudie': Telluride Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  31. ^ Hoffman, Jordan (3 September 2016). "Maudie review – Sally Hawkins adds a flourish to portrait of reclusive artist". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  32. ^ Dargis, Manohla (15 June 2017). "Review: In 'Maudie,' a Painter Spins Beauty From Despair". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  33. ^ Scherstuhl, Alan (14 June 2017). "Sally Hawkins Dazzles Even When 'Maudie' Drags". Village Voice. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  34. ^ Vishnevetsky, Ignatiy (14 June 2017). "Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke can't prop up the artist biopic Maudie". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  35. ^ Taylor, Kate (14 April 2017). "Maudie review: How to wring art from adversity, minus any pandering". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  36. ^ Knight, Chris (12 April 2017). "Maudie is a portrait of a painter whose canvas was her life, and whose life was her canvas". National Post. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  37. ^ Howell, Peter (13 April 2017). "Reel Brief: Mini reviews of 'Their Finest,' 'Maudie,' 'My Entire High School,' 'The Happiest Day' and 'A Quiet Passion'". The Toronto Star. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  38. ^ Boulanger, Luc (21 April 2017). "Maudie: la beauté du monde ****". La Presse. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  39. ^ Clarke, Donald (3 August 2017). "There have always been people like Maude Lewis. We're never kind enough to them". The Irish Times. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  40. ^ Whitington, Paul (4 August 2017). "Movie reviews: England is Mine, Maudie, The Emoji Movie". The Irish Independent. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  41. ^ "Maudie Wins Coveted VIFF Super Channel People's Choice Award" (Press release). Greater Vancouver International Film Festival Society. 14 October 2016. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  42. ^ a b Derdeyn, Stuart (16 October 2016). "Maudie wins People's Choice Award at VIFF". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  43. ^ ACTRA Toronto (18 January 2017). "The 15th Annual ACTRA Awards in Toronto nominees". CNW Group. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  44. ^ Pinto, Jordan (26 September 2016). "Maudie, Perfume War win Atlantic Film Festival prizes". Playback. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  45. ^ "Nova Scotian takes home a Canadian society of Cinematographers Award". The Chronicle Herald. 3 April 2017. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  46. ^ "Media Release" (PDF). Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival. 29 September 2016. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  47. ^ Ritman, Alex (19 December 2017). "'Three Billboards' Tops London Critics' Circle Film Award Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  48. ^ Lewis, Hilary (5 May 2017). "Montclair Film Festival: 'Lady Macbeth,' 'Strong Island' Among Award Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  49. ^ "2017 San Diego Film Critics Society Award Winners". San Diego Film Critics Society. 9 December 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  50. ^ "2017 San Diego Film Critics Society's Award Nominations". San Diego Film Critics Society. 9 December 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  51. ^ "Women's Image Network announces its 19th Women's Image Awards Film and Television Nominees". Women's Image Network. 10 November 2017. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  52. ^ Yeo, Debra (25 April 2017). "Letterkenny and X Company take Writers Guild of Canada Screenwriting Awards". The Toronto Star. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  53. ^ a b Wong, Jessica (22 May 2017). "The Hollywood effect: Maud Lewis and other painters who got a bump from the movies". CBC News. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  54. ^ Montanini, Chris (13 June 2017). "Painting by late London artist finds new meaning". Postmedia Network. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  55. ^ Bennett, Paul W. (2 June 2017). "Finding a Muse in Maud Lewis". The Chronicle Herald. p. D1-D3.

External links

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