Basic Info
Title:
Maudie
Genre:
Biography, Drama, Romance
Country:
Ireland, Canada
Language:
English
Running
time: 116 minutes
Release
date: 2 September 2016 (Telluride Film Festival),
14 April 2017 (Canada), July 2017 (Ireland)
Staff
Director:
Aisling Walsh
Produced by: Bob Cooper, Mary Young Leckie, Mary
Sexton, Susan Mullen
Screenplay: Sherry White
Music: Michael Timmins
Cinematography:
Guy Godfree
Edited
by: Stephen O'Connell
Cast
Sally Hawkins as Maud Lewis
Ethan Hawke as Everett Lewis
Summary
"Maudie" is a 2016
biographical drama film directed by Aisling Walsh and starring Sally Hawkins
and Ethan Hawke. A co-produced by Ireland and Canada, the film is about the
life of Canadian folk artist Maud Lewis.
 |
| Maud Lewis |
Maud Lewis was a Canadian folk
artist from Nova Scotia who was born on March 7, 1903 and died on July 30,
1970. She lived most of her life in poverty in a small home in Marshalltown,
Nova Scotia, and she achieved first national recognition in 1964 and 1965. Best
known for her cheerful paintings of landscapes, animals and flowers that evoke
a nostalgic and optimistic vision of her native province, Lewis is one of
Canada's most famous folk artists. Her works and the restored Maud Lewis House
are displayed in the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.
 |
| Winter Sleigh Ride, Maud Lewis |
 |
| Model T Ford, Maud Lewis |
In the film, Maud (Hawkins)
struggles with arthritis, memory of a lost child, and a family who doubts her
ability, before moving as a housekeeper to the home of a surly fish peddler
(Hawke). Despite their different personalities, as her works gain popularity,
the two get married. The film was shot in Newfoundland and Labrador and a
re-creation of Lewis' small house was made for the filming.
The film, which premiered at the
2016 Telluride Film Festival, was screened in the Special Presentations section
at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival and received positive reviews
after its release.
Although the fact that the film was
shot in Newfoundland became the controversial subject in Lewis' native Nova
Scotia, it sparked a resurgence of interest in Lewis' art.
Movie
Review
"Beautiful location, beautiful
artist”
“Sally Hawkins is amazing”
“Expresses her joy in life
through art”
“Outstanding bio-pic of
Canadian artist Maud Lewis”
“Gorgeous...”
“An inspiring and
heartfelt story”
“A lovely story, well
told”
“A gentle portrait of a gentle
artist”
“A sentimental story”
Interesting
stories about the film
1. This film project was in
development for 13 years.
 |
| A filming location, Trinity Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador |
2. The fully restored house of Maud
Lewis is on permanent display in Halifax at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.
 |
| Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada |
3. An entire replica of Lewis's
house was made for the making of the film.
 |
| Maud Lewis Replica House, Digby, Nova Scotia, Canada |
4. Ethan Hawke based his
character's grunting on a lobster fisherman he once knew.
 |
| Ethan Hawke |
5. This film won the Super Channel
People's Choice Award, the top audience award at the festival for feature
films, at the 2016 Vancouver International Film Festival, which was the opening
gala.
 |
| Aisling Walsh and Sally Hawkins at the Berlinale 2017 |
6. This is the first biopic about
artist Maud Lewis.
7. The filmmakers decided not to
emphasize Lewis' physical conditions, as it was not the entirety of her
identity.
Thank you.
