Maurice

"A love story of unforgettable passion."

1987 2h 20m EN

🙌

7.6

BANGER

★7.6TMDB · 636

DramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

After his lover rejects him, Maurice attempts to come to terms with his sexuality within the restrictiveness of Edwardian society.

“A love story of unforgettable passion.”

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Cast

James Wilby
Maurice Hall
Hugh Grant
Clive Durham
Rupert Graves
Alec Scudder
Denholm Elliott
Dr. Barry
Simon Callow
Mr. Ducie
Billie Whitelaw
Mrs. Hall
Barry Foster
Dean Cornwallis
Judy Parfitt
Mrs. Durham

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: James Ivory
Writers: Kit Hesketh-Harvey, James Ivory
Languages: English, Latin
Countries: United Kingdom, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $2.6M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 94% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

39 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Latin.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by James Ivory, shot by Pierre Lhomme. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Richard Robbins. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Katherine Wenning shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

James Ivory directs. Pierre Lhomme behind the camera. Richard Robbins scores. Katherine Wenning cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English, Latin.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $2.6M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Earned back only 94% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
339 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
4Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Latin.
5International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.
6Directed by James Ivory, shot by Pierre Lhomme. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
7Original score by Richard Robbins. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
8Editor Katherine Wenning shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
9James Wilby and Hugh Grant and Rupert Graves carry the top of the cast.
10Marketing tagline: "A love story of unforgettable passion.".
11IMDB entry: tt0093512 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
12Classified under 15 themes, including "coming out", "secret love", "based on novel or book", "england".

The technical file

Cinematography: Pierre Lhomme
Original score: Richard Robbins
Editing: Katherine Wenning
Production design: Brian Ackland-Snow
Costume design: Jenny Beavan
Makeup / hair: Carol Hemming
Runtime: 140 min · 2h 20m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $2,600,000
Box office: $2,438,304
Return: 94% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Maurice (1987)

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James Ivory

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What people are saying

CinemaSerf2024-03-31
★ 7/10
James Wilby is at his best here depicting the eponymous E.M. Forster character who takes rather a shine to his university colleague "Clive" (Hugh Grant). Of course not only is same sex fun illegal, it's looked upon very unfavourably by the Oxford set - even if most of them have had the odd dabble themselves. "Clive" is not really the commitment sort - he cares more for conforming and taking his well-heeled place in society, but "Maurice" seems more dyed-in-the-wool. His sexuality less fluid and his frustrations ever increasing. It's on a trip to see his friend and new wife "Anne" (Phoebe Nicholls) that he encounters their charming under-gamekeeper "Scudder" (Rupert Graves) and despite the differences in their social standing, at at some peril to his reputation, they embark on something that could just change both of their lives. Whilst the whole thing is set amongst the rarified environment of the English upper classes, it's still a potent reminder of life in a proscriptive society that though nothing of jail with hard labour for men caught with other men. There's a strong supporting cast, typical of these quality Marchant Ivory productions - Simon Callow, Billie Whitelaw and Judy Parfitt to name but three (I'm sure I saw Helena Bonham Carter in here too) and the look of the film - the settings, costumes and overall production design give it an authenticity and sheen. For me, the film belongs to Graves. His cheeky, well meaning and naive young character epitomising just what was wrong with the very fabric of a society that abhorred and punished his sexuality. With a swipe at the medical professional - and quackery in general - along the way, this whole thing is a classy and stylish assessment of a life that never, quite, feels real.

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