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The Lady in the Van

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The Lady in the Van

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• Drama
• Comedy

• 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

How to watch

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Streaming

• Netflix
• Sky Store

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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