“Maudie” is based on the true story of folk artist Maud Lewis (Sally Hawkins) and the unlikely romance between Maud and a hardened reclusive bachelor, Everett Lewis (Ethan Hawke). It is a beautiful story of love and humanity.
Maud, a bright-eyed, intelligent woman, hunched with crippled hands from arthritis, yearns to be independent and to live away from her overly protective family. She escapes her solitary existence in her aunt’s home through her art, dreaming away the days, until in her early 30s she finds, and answers, an advertisement for a housekeeper.
Everett Lewis is a 40 year old bachelor who owes nothing to anyone. Tall, skinny and shabby, abandoned by his parents at a very young age, he has nevertheless managed to become a proud and self-sufficient man, largely by collecting scraps and peddling fish. He is his own boss and has everything he needs, except maybe a woman to clean the house and cook his meals.
When Maud answers the ad, Everett hesitates at first. Seeing this strange looking woman - short, hunched over, with gnarled up hands and two huge bright brown eyes, he can’t imagine she can handle the hard work. She is determined though and refuses to leave, so he hires her, but remains wary. She talks too much, has too many opinions, and is a terrible housekeeper. She spends most of her time painting doodles on cardboard and the walls of his house. Everett realizes he hardly got what he bargained for.
But over time, Everett starts to need Maud. When she isn’t near him, his life is dull and grey. She understands him in a way that no one ever has and she loves being needed by him. Their bond grows deep and unspoken.
Maudie’s determination for her art, along with her partnership with Everett, blossoms into a career as a famous folk artist, bringing them closer together in ways they never imagined.
“Captivating! Sally Hawkins’ performance splendidly carries the day.” — Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter
“Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke, a beautifully matched pair who open up two closed people, unleashing torrents of feeling.” — Manohla Dargis, The New York Times
“Achieves a genuine grace and considerable poignancy. Hawkins brings an eccentric to vivid life with precision and soul.” — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times