The Lady in the Van

I came across this one while on the hunt for ‘movies with a grumpy old lady.’ If only there were a sub-genre for that. 😊 The 2015 British film ‘The Lady in the Van’ is an adaptation of the acclaimed writer Alan Bennett’s memoir of the same title. It delves into the peculiar relationship between Alan Bennett and the eccentric old lady living in her van parked in his driveway for fifteen years. The memoir transitioned first into a stage play and then into a movie, both under the direction of Bennett’s long-time collaborator Nicholas Hytner.

What I adore about this film is the main character being a playwright. I have a soft spot for movies with writers, as long as they aren’t portrayed as unrealistically cool, attractive, and rich like in ‘Castle,’ the American TV show. If you tell me the character is a writer, I want to see some social awkwardness going on. 😊 Bennett delivers just that. Early on, after the narrator declares, ‘The writer is double. There is the self who does the writing and there is the self who does the living.’ And suddenly, we have two Alan Bennetts. It’s inventive, and I love how he plays with this concept throughout the movie.

In one review I read, Bennett faced criticism for being too self-centered, not thoroughly exploring the character of the lady in the van. I disagree. Sometimes in real life, you meet someone in an unusual situation with a mysterious past, and it seems like excellent, interesting material. But when you write about it, it doesn’t always convey as interesting as you initially thought. You often need to support it with additional material. Bennett does a good job in that department. He doesn’t just insert himself into the narrative but also brings in his own mother. I appreciate how he draws a parallel between his mother and that old lady.

Another aspect I enjoy about this movie is its British wit and self-deprecating humor. At one point, we learn the character hasn’t had sex for some time, and then this interview scene unfolds: 

Interviewer: What was your first play about? 

Alan Bennett: Public school. 

Interviewer: But you didn’t go to public school. 

Alan Bennett: No, but I read about it. 

Interviewer: And what was your next play about? 

Alan Bennett: Sex. I read about that too. 

In the beginning, the character states, ‘Writing is talking to oneself.’ He sits alone, talks to himself, and writes all day long. Towards the end of the film, he finally has a partner. His partner comes up to him and says ‘Now that I’m here, I think you should stop talking to yourself.’ It’s a charming ending, though deep down, I know he’ll continue talking to himself, no matter who’s around. 😊

One fascinating tidbit from the production process is that they filmed it in Bennett’s old house and his old neighborhood, where the lady in the van once lived. Some neighbors actually remembered her and shared stories, mostly about how scary and rude she was. In an interview, Director Hytner shared an amusing anecdote. Director Stephen Frears, who spent a lot of time in that neighborhood, also knew the old lady. When he passed by the set and learned they were making a film about her, he quipped, ‘I’m not coming to see that! I knew the real thing. I’m not paying money to see her all over again.’

And here’s the link to the script: http://elcv.art.br/santoandre/biblioteca/_em_ingles/roteiros/Lady-in-the-Van-The.pdf (Oh, how much easier it is to find British film scripts online.)