The Lady in the Van
Go! Dame Maggie Smith makes it worthwhile for anyone.
Trampy lady with spunk aplenty.
Old people! We all love them. Except John Lewis, which exiled a member of the grey-haired-brigade to the moon for Christmas this year. Thinking about it, that so many non-celestial elderly people are left isolated and alone all year round might also suggest otherwise. Hmm. Perhaps we actually massively undervalue our senior citizens; too often dismiss them as costly and tiresome and imposing and irrelevant. The Lady in the Van trundles up a North London street to proclaim that even if costly, tiresome and imposing may sometimes be true, irrelevance is almost impossible.
Based on English playwright Alan Bennett's book and play of the same name, it tells the "mostly true" story of Mary Shepherd - an elderly, homeless lady who foisted herself into Bennett's life by parking her van and living in his Camden driveway for 15 years. She initially seems little more than an incorrigibly obstinate and belligerent troublemaker, who chases children, complains and clutters the leafy neighbourhood, but as her chequered and colourful history is gradually exposed, Bennett grows to find her rather extraordinary; unearthing parts of his own character and helping him to reflect on his relationship with his ageing mother in the process.
Based on English playwright Alan Bennett's book and play of the same name, it tells the "mostly true" story of Mary Shepherd - an elderly, homeless lady who foisted herself into Bennett's life by parking her van and living in his Camden driveway for 15 years. She initially seems little more than an incorrigibly obstinate and belligerent troublemaker, who chases children, complains and clutters the leafy neighbourhood, but as her chequered and colourful history is gradually exposed, Bennett grows to find her rather extraordinary; unearthing parts of his own character and helping him to reflect on his relationship with his ageing mother in the process.
Having previously been a play, the challenge is for director Nicholas Hynter (who directed the West End production as well as the film and stage versions of The History Boys) to translate The Lady in the Van into a worthwhile big screen experience. There are moments when its theatrical DNA is quite apparent, but never does this hinder the overall retelling of the tale. This is largely because of the film's two stars - Alex Jennings (The Queen, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason) as Bennett and the entirely inimitable Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey, Harry Potter series) as Shepherd. Their mutual playfulness is hugely enjoyable. With the metronomic click-clack of two needles in tandem, each of the characters overcomes the other's stubbornness; slowly knitting the emotive fabric of the story into a cosy, woolly jumper that is eventually pulled over the audience to the response of a smiling "coo". It takes a while to kick in, but by the end, it can genuinely be described as moving, amusing and "heart-warming" - the clichéd, but desirable description of any unconventional, platonic relationship story.
While the breadth of the film's appeal will be limited by it appearing to be more English and middle-class than a Nigel-Slater-curated afternoon tea for two served on commemorative Will-and-Kate crockery in a converted Surrey cottage with the hark of Susan Boyle wafting in the background, the character of Mary Shepherd and the performance of Maggie Smith are both transcendent of cultural stereotypes. Having appeared in the original 1999 play and then again on the Radio 4 version in 2009, this is the third time Smith has played the lady in the van, and her experience shows. With charm and veracity, she masterfully portrays the incredibly demanding blend of Shepherd's voracious vulnerability, whimsical wit and tricksy tenacity, so much so that you could be forgiven for thinking the whole thing was an improbable documentary. This, coupled with a story built on Bennett's jocular (if often cynical) observations of his time with Shepherd, make for a sweet and pleasantly comical hour and forty minutes of leisurely watching.
So go. It is more than just a parable about an unusual old woman and the clever English writer whose driveway she colonised. It is a quirky chronicle, which reminds us that appearances can be extremely deceiving. Particularly when it comes to those with a profound and prolonged history, with all people, there is always so much to know and be fascinated by.
So go. It is more than just a parable about an unusual old woman and the clever English writer whose driveway she colonised. It is a quirky chronicle, which reminds us that appearances can be extremely deceiving. Particularly when it comes to those with a profound and prolonged history, with all people, there is always so much to know and be fascinated by.