Looking at the artwork of the late Maud Lewis, one would ever know that the folk artist, who hailed from Nova Scotia, Canada, suffered from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. While her paintings were vibrant with touches of whimsy, Maud’s personal life wasn’t always as colorful and cheery, in fact, more often than not, it was the exact opposite.
In the movie Maudie, directed by Aisling Walsh, English actress Sally Hawkins portrays the real life artist, and Ethan Hawke portrays her husband, Everett Lewis, a fish monger. Both loners, Maud and Everett, the most unlikely of pairs, find one another when Everett posts a notice that he is searching for a house maid.
When Maud first begins working for Everett, earning her room and board with a little bit of spending money on top, the reclusive Everett treats her as if she’s a nuisance. Seemingly impervious to Everett’s sullenness, Maud persists in trying to earn more than just a place in his house, hoping someday he’ll accept her for who she is.
Growing up, Maud was constantly reminded that she was different. Not only did strangers taunt her, referring to her as a cripple because of her struggled gait, her brother and aunt made it clear to her that they thought she was inferior. People assumed her physical limitations equated to stupidity.
As Maud settles into her one bedroom home with Everett, drab with simple furniture, she begins to make her mark on it, turning the tiny house into a home. Painting simplistic images of birds, flowers, and nature scenes is Maud’s refuge from the meanness that surrounds her. When a visitor to their little town comes across Maud’s artwork, Maud’s world is forever changed.
Maud begins earning money for her paintings, and soon notoriety finds her, much to Everett’s chagrin. He grows annoyed that people looking to buy her folksy depictions are disturbing his peace, and even more agitated that he now has to help with the household chores because Maud is too busy painting.
Maud and Everett’s love story reminded me of my Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop. When my grandmother wanted to run for mayor of her town, Pop-Pop specifically cast a vote against her, worried that she wouldn’t be able to have dinner on the table at 5:00 sharp. Despite Pop-Pop’s lack of support, Mom-Mom still won (and was the first female mayor of the town). Even though he was rooting against her, she never stopped loving him. Mom-Mom accepted Pop-Pop for who he was, and even though he was cantankerous, she knew deep down that he loved her.
My friend Kris, who attended Maudie with me, shed a few tears throughout the movie. As she discussed her reaction, her voice cracked, for it also triggered memories of her own grandparents. She said, “What my grandfather lacked, my grandmother made up for, and vice versa. They complemented one another even though there were a lot of hard times.”
She continued, “The movie is also about taking chances, and knowing your own worth. Maud makes really hard decisions, allowing her to take charge of her life, and I admired how she was able to keep loving Everett even when he wasn’t loving toward her. She never let anyone else determine her self worth, and, when it came to Everett, she was patient with him as he learned very slowly that he was going to have to return the daily kindnesses she extended to him.”
I’m not usually one to place bets, but I predict that Sally Hawkins will not only be an Academy Award nominee for best actress, but that she’ll win. Incredible is the only word worthy of her performance. Ethan Hawke, who somehow managed to still look sexy even when he was portraying a grumpy old man, gave an equally impressive performance.
At the end of the movie, which was one of the slowest paced films I’ve seen, I felt grateful to have learned about Maud Lewis. She and Everett practically had nothing at all when it came to material possessions, and their marriage was certainly not easy, but, in the end, it turned out that having each other was all that either one of them really needed. Maud’s ability to overlook everything negative in her life was inspiring. Her artwork reflects her soul, and we should all be so lucky to be able to find the simple joys in life like Maud did. As it turns out, Maud’s true masterpiece was her ability to keep smiling.
Movie times: click here
Genre: Biography, Drama, Romance
Director: Aisling Walsh
Actors: Sally Hawkins, Ethan Hawke, Kari Matchett
Running Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
Rating: Rated PG-13 for some thematic content and brief sexuality
