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The Lady in the Van
The Lady in the Van is a 2015 British comedy-drama film directed by Nicholas Hytner, and starring Maggie Smith and Alex Jennings, based on his earlier memoir and stage play of the same name, created by Alan Bennett.
It was written by Bennett, and it tells the (mostly) true story of his interactions with Mary Shepherd, an elderly woman who lived in a dilapidated van on his driveway in north London for 15 years. He had previously published the story as a 1989 essay, 1990 book, 1999 stage play, and 2009 radio play on BBC Radio 4. Smith had previously portrayed Shepherd twice: in the 1999 stage play, which earned her a Best Actress nomination at the 2000 Olivier Awards, and in the 2009 radio adaptation.
Hytner directed the 1999 stage play at the Queen's Theatre in London's West End. The film was shown in the Special Presentations section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival and received largely positive reviews from critics.
In 1970, writer Alan Bennett moves into a wealthy suburb of Camden. Soon afterwards, he meets Miss Mary Shepherd, an irritable, eccentric, unsanitary, and religious homeless woman living in an old Bedford van, who squats outside multiple houses in Bennett's street of Gloucester Crescent. Social workers frequently check in with her, and other neighbours on the street frequently bring Miss Shepherd presents or food.
One day, a couple of youths scare Miss Shepherd, shaking the van and yelling at her, which causes her to wake from a nightmare she was having of a long ago traffic accident. The incident with the boys worries Alan, so he mentions at a meal with neighbours an idea to let her park in his drive. Though initially hesitant, a wealthy neighbour buys her a new van, and Miss Shepherd moves into his driveway, where she proceeds to stay for 15 years, from 1974 to 1989.
Bennett is discreetly gay, and sometimes brings his dates home. Shepherd naively assumes his dates are Communists, meeting secretly with him. During this time, Bennett balances his writing career with watching over Shepherd and providing for his increasingly invalid mother. Though he denies "caring" for anyone, he slowly becomes aware of his growing friendship with Shepherd. Bennett often imagines himself having philosophical discussions with himself.
Bennett discovers her fluency in French, which she learnt while studying the piano in Paris. Despite this, she has an extreme aversion to all music. When asked why, she explained that when she was a novice nun, left alone in a room with a piano she started to play a classical piece. She was forbidden to play it again. Bennett also discovers that she had driven an ambulance during the 1939 blackout in WWII, played Chopin at The Proms, and attempted to become a nun twice. He also finds out her real name: Margaret Fairchild. A mysterious man stops by her van who frightens her every so often, and she gives him money, and she lives in constant fear of the police.
Eventually, Shepherd is sent to a day centre. Bennett takes this opportunity to travel down to Broadstairs and meets with the man she frequently visits, who turns out to be her brother. He explains how he had Mary institutionalised in Banstead (she escaped not long after) and that she studied under the virtuoso pianist Alfred Cortot.
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The Lady in the Van
The Lady in the Van is a 2015 British comedy-drama film directed by Nicholas Hytner, and starring Maggie Smith and Alex Jennings, based on his earlier memoir and stage play of the same name, created by Alan Bennett.
It was written by Bennett, and it tells the (mostly) true story of his interactions with Mary Shepherd, an elderly woman who lived in a dilapidated van on his driveway in north London for 15 years. He had previously published the story as a 1989 essay, 1990 book, 1999 stage play, and 2009 radio play on BBC Radio 4. Smith had previously portrayed Shepherd twice: in the 1999 stage play, which earned her a Best Actress nomination at the 2000 Olivier Awards, and in the 2009 radio adaptation.
Hytner directed the 1999 stage play at the Queen's Theatre in London's West End. The film was shown in the Special Presentations section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival and received largely positive reviews from critics.
In 1970, writer Alan Bennett moves into a wealthy suburb of Camden. Soon afterwards, he meets Miss Mary Shepherd, an irritable, eccentric, unsanitary, and religious homeless woman living in an old Bedford van, who squats outside multiple houses in Bennett's street of Gloucester Crescent. Social workers frequently check in with her, and other neighbours on the street frequently bring Miss Shepherd presents or food.
One day, a couple of youths scare Miss Shepherd, shaking the van and yelling at her, which causes her to wake from a nightmare she was having of a long ago traffic accident. The incident with the boys worries Alan, so he mentions at a meal with neighbours an idea to let her park in his drive. Though initially hesitant, a wealthy neighbour buys her a new van, and Miss Shepherd moves into his driveway, where she proceeds to stay for 15 years, from 1974 to 1989.
Bennett is discreetly gay, and sometimes brings his dates home. Shepherd naively assumes his dates are Communists, meeting secretly with him. During this time, Bennett balances his writing career with watching over Shepherd and providing for his increasingly invalid mother. Though he denies "caring" for anyone, he slowly becomes aware of his growing friendship with Shepherd. Bennett often imagines himself having philosophical discussions with himself.
Bennett discovers her fluency in French, which she learnt while studying the piano in Paris. Despite this, she has an extreme aversion to all music. When asked why, she explained that when she was a novice nun, left alone in a room with a piano she started to play a classical piece. She was forbidden to play it again. Bennett also discovers that she had driven an ambulance during the 1939 blackout in WWII, played Chopin at The Proms, and attempted to become a nun twice. He also finds out her real name: Margaret Fairchild. A mysterious man stops by her van who frightens her every so often, and she gives him money, and she lives in constant fear of the police.
Eventually, Shepherd is sent to a day centre. Bennett takes this opportunity to travel down to Broadstairs and meets with the man she frequently visits, who turns out to be her brother. He explains how he had Mary institutionalised in Banstead (she escaped not long after) and that she studied under the virtuoso pianist Alfred Cortot.