In brash defiance of Hollywood convention, TriStar and BBC films put an 81-year-old woman, Maggie Smith, in a starring (and title) role, showing everybody not only that it can be done, but it should be done, dammit! Who says there’s an age limit on female stardom?
“Oh, nice! So what is she? A queen? A duchess? A dowager? A mogul?”
“A bag lady. She’s homeless.”
“Oh. Well, I won’t be expecting any sex scenes then.”
“I shouldn’t think so. No.”
Soooooo, maybe “homeless street urchin” is not the most enlightened use of a woman over thirty, but no one can deny 1) this project did get the green light, 2) it is certainly a bold and unique vision and 3) it made far more money than it cost. In their own way, these are stunning revelations. Now let’s never repeat them again.
“Miss Shepherd” (Smith) is an alias. She’s on the run from Johnny law. Hey, in England, is it “Nigel law?” How about “Jude Law?” Yes. “Miss Shepherd” is a fugitive on the run from Jude Law when she finds that part of London where one drifter can hang out for decades on end without provocation and the annoyed neighbors are too polite to say anything. The king of the doormats is (screenwriter) Alan Bennett (Alex Jennings). Jennings actually plays two roles in this film – one manifestation of his ego where he plays a wimp and a second manifestation of his ego in a state of surreality where he plays an even bigger wimp. The former, you see, has the temerity to question if the smelly bag lady really needs to use his personal lavatory on the top floor of his flat. The latter shrugs and scrubs the entire room after she leaves.
I know you’re asking yourself, “how can I get a bag lady to live on my block? Nay, in my driveway?” I know. I know. I asked the same question. Sometimes, I’m afraid to say, it’s simply luck-of-the-draw and an absolute lack of spine. Gotta have both. Simply put, one day “Miss Shepherd” simply showed up to live on Alan Bennett’s street … and she never left. Alan, for whatever reason, becomes the block rep she responds to, and found himself too polite to tell her to shove off even when she asked to use his bathroom. FF years later and she’s camped in his driveway and using his water and facilities every day.
And Miss Shepherd is all those things you love to see in the homeless: she’s obstinate, belligerent, ill-tempered, and entirely self-centered. It’s like having a most disapproving in-law as a permanent fixture. So this is a dream come true for any citizen. The Lady in the Van is a challenging film – we clearly side with Alan, but what are we rooting for? Do we want him to grow a backbone and boot her off or are we waiting for him to embrace the inevitable and enjoy her company?
The Lady in the Van is not without humor. There’s a point in the film in which Miss Shepherd, I kid you not, actually has to get a new van. She’s
stunk out the old one sufficiently. I know I’m not the only one who had the thought, “look, lady, if you just get a hearse, this is a win-win.
This film is essentially about two relationships – that between the homeless vanlady & jellyfishman and the relationship between jellyfishman and himself. The problem with writing yourself into a screenplay is that huge assumption that your story is not only important, but entertaining. There is a very real chance that your audience won’t actually see things from your perspective. I think here we do understand Alan, and we even find ourselves sympathizing with Miss Shepherd. Is it because she isn’t a typical homeless person? Or is it because she is precisely a typical homeless person?
♪Asked the lady where she wanted to pee
She said, “your flat is fine with me.”
Not sure I like it, shared life with this smell
Is this my personal vision of Hell?
Lady you can park your van
I wish you had some other plan
I’m beggin’ Lady, drive your van
And lady, I loathe you♫
Rated PG-13, 104 Minutes
D: Nicholas Hytner
W: Alan Bennett
Genre: Easing your social conscience
Type of person most likely to enjoy this film: The homeless
Type of person least likely to enjoy this film: Enablers
♪ Parody inspired by “Drive My Car”
