Chinook Film Group is kicking off its fall series with the movie Maudie showing at the Cochrane Movie House on Sept. 20.
Maudie is a romantic film directed by Aisling Walsh and starring Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke. The movie is about the life of artist Maud Lewis, who painted in Marshalltown, N.S., and the film was shot in Newfoundland and Labrador.
In the 1930s, Maud Dowley is an arthritic woman living with her Aunt Ida and brother Charles, when she meets fish peddler Everett Lewis. After he posts an advertisement for a cleaning lady, Maud takes the position for lodging and food. She starts to paint flowers and birds on the wall, then she meets one of Everett’s customers, Sandra (played by Kari Matchett) from New York City, who is intrigued by Maud’s paintings and buys cards Maud has decorated. She later commissions larger painting for $5.
The 2016 Toronto International Film Festival screened Maudie in the “Special Presentations” section. The film also won a number of awards at other festivals after being released Sept. 2, 2016.
It has also been screened at other major Canadian film festivals, including a gala at the Atlantic Film Festival, Calgary International Film Festival, the Vancouver International Film Festival, and the 2017 Berlin International Film Festival.
In Canada, the film grossed $1 million, while placing first in the Atlantic box office, grossing $4,000 during each show. Mongrel Media claims that, in some theatres, Maudie outperformed the mainstream action film The Fate of the Furious.
Rotten Tomatoes sets Maudie’s approval rating at 88 per cent based on 105 reviews with an average rating of 7/10.
For those interested, tickets are $10 available at the Gentry as well as Tea and Other Things.
