Movie #1164 ........................."Lady in a Van"

Movie #1164 "Lady in a Van" is my kind of film.  While watching the film, it was a delight because I never knew where it was going next.  This is based on a true story about a woman who parked her van in the playwright Alan Bennett's driveway for 15 years, and he decided to write about it.  It doesn't seem like much of a story, but it works because it is strictly character-driven --- that's why I enjoyed it so much.  And Maggie Smith inhabit the character of Mary Shepherd with vigor, with heroic dignity, with contrariness and crassness, and crabbiness ----- and much more.  The unique way the story is told (I don't want to say specifically how because it would ruin the set up)  was a delight as well because it sets the story up on another level, and it further shows the growth in the narrator.  A sidebar that made it particularly amusing to me was that this movie gathered  together for this film a bunch of actors that were on broadway together in Alan Bennett's brilliant play "History Boys" (many were in the film "History Boys," as well) , including Mr. Bennett himself, who makes a cameo appearance toward the end of this film.  Now, I have been raving about the film, but I must say that it is not a film for everyone.  I sensed not all the audience was following the erudite, play-like script due to it being  possibly too fast,  or possibly mumbled in parts (it should have used subtitles, since most of my audience was over 65, and I would think the older agers would be the  main demographic for this particular film) and it doesn't have a lot of big moments ----- it takes a while to get into it and to even like Maggie Smith's character , and it has no car chases, or nude scenes, or CGI and special effects.  Yet, it stands alone as a very entertaining film if you are willing to listen and appreciate the dialogue and the acting.  I would give it 5 stars, and I wonder why it wasn't nominated (at least for Maggie) for any awards in the past season.

The Lady in the Van

2015 PG-13 Rated PG-13

rated 3.5 stars

3.5

In this touching human drama adapted from writer Alan Bennett's bestselling memoir, he befriends the elderly Miss Shepherd, who's living in a van that's been parked in his driveway for 15 years.

Cast: Maggie Smith, Alex Jennings, Jim Broadbent.