THE LADY IN THE VAN: An Insightful & Witty Delight

It’s difficult to know where to start when describing Alan Bennett to people who haven’t grown up in the UK. Imagine, if you will, an everyday man, one with a down on his luck and pessimistic sort of look about him. He has a recognisable Northern accent, and a dreary one at that. He’s a writer for stage and screen, his most famous work being Talking Heads. A singular actor, sometimes Bennett himself, would sit on stage and talk about life in the most ordinary and mundane detail. What is most remarkable about this everyday, dreary sounding man is that he is one of our icons.

Bennett’s voice and style is so recognisable to the British ear, but his personal life and habits have always been private. So, there was never going to be a moment that the British public weren’t going to be interested in Bennett’s The Lady In The Van. Adapted from his own stage play (previously a novella), and based on the almost true story of himself and the lady who lived on his driveway for fifteen years, the film is directed by Nicholas Hytner (the man who brought the National Theatre to the digital, cinema-going generation) and stars Maggie Smith, who has found a new audience after the success of Downton Abbey.

You would expect, with all these great British institutions on show, that The Lady In The Van might end up being something of a disappointment however well it succeeded. On the contrary, it hits the nail right on the head.

The Talented Mr Bennett

To call Bennett a talented writer would be to put it mildly. His laconic and pessimistic approach, along with his observations on everyday life have won him myriad awards. His play The History Boys (later adapted into a film, also directed by Hytner) alone won six Tony awards in 2006 after making the move to Broadway. But, as previously mentioned, although Bennett talks so much about himself and his life, he’s essentially always remained something of a mystery. This is something he addresses in this film, in one way or another.

In The Lady In The Van Bennett does not only tell the story of Miss Shepherd, he tells the story of the time they shared as filtered by his own mind. This film has two Alan Bennetts. There is the Alan Bennett that lives his life, and there is a second Bennett. A man who sits and observes and, most importantly, writes. The two not only discuss Miss Shepherd as a character and a story, they also draw conclusions from Bennett’s associations between her and his mother. Bennett, in a way, acts as his own psychoanalyst.

While touted as a comedy based on the true life story of a writer and a ‘crazy transient’, The Lady In The Van is actually much more than that. While Miss Shepherd provides the intrigue and comedy, Bennett himself provides depth, as a writer and character. Writing about Miss Shepherd, and knowing so little about her, Bennett is forced to look inwardly. He reflects on what sort of person he is, what sort of writer, his relationship with his mother, and his relationship with himself, quite literally.

Bennett has written a biased account of his life, but happily points to this bias. He knows that he’s somewhat private about his homosexuality, he knows that he is ignoring his mother and entertaining himself with Miss Shepherd. He knows all this and by professing to it, he opens up the question that can be asked of any of us. Why do we do the things we do? Is it laziness, fear, ignorance, the safety of the familiar? This theme anchors the film’s premise in something greater than just flippant comedy and is all the better for it.

The Indomitable Maggie Smith

Besides Alan Bennett, The Lady In The Van’s major selling point is Maggie Smith. Although a long acting career stretches out into her past it is possibly only recently, with the success of Downton Abbey, that she has found success that amounts to fame. Unusually for The Lady In The Van she has taken part in a great number of interviews for the press, perhaps finally willing to give the public the more that they have begun craving from her.

In her own words, Maggie Smith has found a niche for playing ‘mean old cows’. And, man! Doesn’t she play them perfectly? Maggie Smith is one of my favourite actresses and in The Lady In The Van she is on top form. She is quick, acerbic and displays a comic timing more perfect than anyone half her age who is supposed to be twice as funny. Not only that, Smith brings great pathos to the role of Miss Shepherd. And while she irritates Bennett and his neighbours, her apparent well of emotion can’t help but make you and them want to know more about her.

While many London-based actors and writers actually met Miss Shepherd, as Bennett lived among his peers (the filming location for The Lady In The Van was actually the house in which this all took place), Smith did not. She regrets this, but at the same time it is to her advantage as she is able to attune directly to Bennett’s version of the lady herself. Smith previously played the same role in Bennett’s stage play and in the BBC Radio 4 adaptation, so suffice to say she has had more time than an actor usually does to learn a role. Nevertheless, she is still extraordinary, perfectly blending the comedy and tragedy that has so defined her acting talent.

And The Rest…

The fact is, there isn’t a lot wrong with The Lady In The Van. Alex Jennings does an excellent impression of Bennett, he probably wouldn’t have gotten away with doing anything less. Hytner’s direction and Bennett’s writing dovetails perfectly, as you imagine they would, after having worked together on both The Madness Of King George and The History Boys.

The supporting actors do a sterling job, with British acting royalty such as Gwen Taylor (as Bennett’s mother), Jim Broadbent, Roger Allam and Frances de la Tour all showing up in small supporting roles. The cast of The History Boys even show up in cameos. James Corden, Dominic Cooper and Russell Tovey, to name a few, founded their careers on the success of Bennett’s work. To see them come out in support of Bennett and Hytner makes the film that much more endearing.

Conclusion

For as charming and interesting as it is, The Lady In The Van isn’t going to blow you away, but it will entertain you, if you’re the right sort of person. The film has a lot to say about Bennett and the position of the writer in real life and in fiction. It reminds you of how we create versions of ourselves and others so as to fit our own fears or dislikes. On the other hand, if what you want is to be entertained, Maggie Smith, with Alex Jennings as her straight man, assures that and bucketloads more.

I would like to say that The Lady In The Van left me with some great sorrow about the life of Miss Shepherd. The sadness over the life that could have been hers, so cruelly torn away, is something to think about to be sure. But because Bennett is so honest about his fictionalising of her life we are never really drawn in to sympathise with her. Is this who she was? Or is this how Bennett imagined her to be?

While it won’t plumb the depths of your emotions as it maybe should, The Lady In The Van does do whatever everyone wants and expects of it. It tells a very good story and is superbly entertaining. And as British as it is I’m sure its eccentricities and humour won’t be lost on you, you might even enjoy it more than we do.

Addendum

Dear Film Industry. When I attended a Tuesday afternoon screening of The Lady In The Van (a week after its release) it was as full as the second night of Spectre. What is more, almost every single one of my fellow cinema customers had silver hair. This should tell you two things.

One, that the older generation are seeing films in droves, especially ones where they can relate to the age of the main character. Two, they have the money and the time to fill up usually empty cinema screenings on a Tuesday afternoon. In fact, they are still doing this a month after the film’s release. So please make more films for the older generation, or I’ll set my Grandmother on you, and she’s Miss Shepherd and then some.

Have you seen The Lady In The Van? What did you think of it? How do you think the ‘Britishness’ of this film works in your country?

The Lady In The Van is still doing a roaring trade in UK cinemas. The film won’t be on general release in the US until 15 January next year. For the release dates in your country see here.