"Maudie," tells the true story of Maud Lewis (played beautifully by Sally Hawkins), an arthritic woman in Nova Scotia who taught herself to paint and became an internationally recognized folk artist. Screenwriter Sherry White explores Maud's relationship with her husband, Everett (Ethan Hawke, cast effectively against type), a mean often bullying and socially maladroit man who hires her as a live-in housekeeper but over time falls in love with her. Maud suffered from the effects of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, her hands often clenched, her head hunched over and her feet at odd angles, causing a limp. After her parents die, her greedy brother sells the family house and sends Maud to live with their mean-spirited spinster aunt, who barely tolerates Maud in her house. Needing to make her own decisions, Maud takes on the demanding job for Everett Lewis, but even after she marries him, she often feels unwelcome, unwanted and abused in her own home.
Although this might sound like a bleak and depressing story, "Maudie" is one of the most beautiful and up-lifting movies of the year. Directed with grace and style by Aisling Walsh, "Maudie" features a nomination-worthy performance from the versatile British actress Sally Hawkins. Her Maud, who is shunned buy the community and treated as something of a freak because of her physical condition and her eccentric ways, maintains an indomitable spirit, determined to find beauty in absolutely everything. And Ethan Hawke delivers one of the best performances of his career as Everett Lewis, a hulking and surly fish peddler living on the edge of town in a one-room house with only his dogs and chickens as company. "Maudie" is sad and disturbing, beautiful and moving and definitely a must see.
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