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The Lady in the Van
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The Lady in the Van
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- 2015
- Nicholas Hytner
- 104 mins
- 12A
Summary
Comedy drama based on Alan Bennett's memoir and play, starring Maggie Smith and Alex Jennings. London, 1970: when writer Alan Bennett grudgingly allows elderly, eccentric bag lady Miss Mary Shepherd to park her van (and home) in the driveway of his Camden townhouse, little does he know that the arrangement will last for 15 years.
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Review
A star rating of 3 out of 5.
Stella Papamichael
Maggie Smith lets her hair down in the role of a real-life bumptious bag lady who lived in a van and found a permanent parking spot outside the Camden home of writer Alan Bennett. Naturally, he put pen to paper to turn this quirky, quintessentially British story of human connection into a book, then a play and later this film directed by Nicholas Hytner. Alex Jennings takes the role of the cardi-clad Bennett, and he delivers his trademark scathing witticisms with aplomb. But this is clearly Smith's show. She is funny without tipping into caricature, yet openly vulnerable, too, and the friendship that develops between her and Bennett defies convention. Smith clearly manipulates Bennett's liberal bleeding heart and he wonders whether he is just too timid to turn her away, even as she defecates all over his home. They veer close to a moment of pathos towards the end, but it's not too profound. The social awkwardness leaves a more lingering impression - like the air inside that van, according to Bennett's vivid description.
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6.7/10
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Credits
Cast
rolenameMiss Mary ShepherdMaggie SmithAlan BennettAlex JenningsUnderwoodJim BroadbentMrs Vaughan WilliamsFrances de la TourRufusRoger AllamTheatre actorDominic CooperStreet traderJames CordenDoctorStephen Campbell MooreLois, social workerClaire FoyJehovah's WitnessSamuel AndersonYoung man with earringRussell ToveyConvent housekeeperMarion Bailey
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Crew
rolenameDirectorNicholas Hytner
Details
Theatrical distributor
Sony
Released on
2015-11-13
Languages
English | French
Guidance
Swearing.
Available on
DVD and Blu-ray
Formats
Colour
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The Lady in the Van - review
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