Maurice (1987)

After his lover rejects him, a young man trapped by the oppressiveness of Edwardian society tries to come to terms with and accept his sexuality.

Director:

James Ivory

Writers:

E.M. Forster (from the novel by), Kit Hesketh-Harvey (screenplay)

Stars:

James Wilby, Rupert Graves, Hugh Grant

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Wilby	...	Maurice Hall
Hugh Grant	...	Clive Durham
Rupert Graves	...	Alec Scudder
Denholm Elliott	...	Doctor Barry
Simon Callow	...	Mr. Ducie
Billie Whitelaw	...	Mrs. Hall
Barry Foster	...	Dean Cornwallis
Judy Parfitt	...	Mrs. Durham
Phoebe Nicholls	...	Anne Durham
Patrick Godfrey	...	Simcox
Mark Tandy	...	Risley
Ben Kingsley	...	Lasker-Jones
Kitty Aldridge	...	Kitty Hall
Helena Michell	...	Ada Hall
Catherine Rabett	...	Pippa Durham

Storyline

Two male English school chums find themselves falling in love at Cambridge. To regain his place in society, Clive gives up his forbidden love, Maurice (pronounced "Morris") and marries. While staying with Clive and his shallow wife, Anne, Maurice finally discovers romance in the arms of Alec, the gamekeeper. Written from personal pain, it's E.M. Forster's story of coming to terms with sexuality in the Edwardian age.

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Plot Keywords:

homosexuality | male full frontal nudity | one word title | forbidden love | male rear nudity | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

Merchant Ivory Productions [United States]

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 September 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

Морис

Filming Locations:

Sicily, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

$2,600,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$49,284, 20 September 1987, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$3,130,592

Company Credits

Production Co:

Merchant Ivory Productions, Cinecom Pictures, Film Four International

Technical Specs

Runtime:

140 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the DVD extras, James Wilby remembers that the movie's final scene, a love scene between his character (Maurice) and Rupert Graves' character (Scudder) was shot on the fourth day of filming, and because of the complete lack of rehearsal time, he and Graves had barely even met beforehand.

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Goofs

Maurice Hall and Clive Durham are shown attending a concert at the Wigmore Hall in London in 1911. This renowned concert venue was originally called Bechstein Hall, having been built by the famous German piano firm, and was not renamed Wigmore Hall until after the First World War, when anti-German feeling had caused the owners to sell up and Westminster Council renamed the venue.

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Quotes

Maurice Hall: I'm walking on a volcano. He's an uneducated man and he's got me in his power. Will he have a case in court, do you think?
Lasker-Jones: I'm no lawyer, Mr. Hall. You'd have to consult your solicitor.
Maurice Hall: How did a country lad like that know? Why did he come to me that one night when I was at my weakest?

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Alternate Versions

Some NTSC versions are scanned at 25fps and the running time is short and seems edited but the movie is intact.

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Connections

Referenced in The Brontes at the BBC (2016)

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Soundtracks

Miserere Psalm 51
Written by Gregorio Allegri
Sung by The Choir of Kings College Cambridge
Courtesy of The Decca Record Company LTD.

User Reviews

Now we shan't ne'er be parted...It's finished...

This is the most emotional love story I have ever viewed. I first saw the film when I was about 14, and I had no problem sitting through the entire two and a half hours of rich period drama. Merchant and Ivory are two of the best filmmakers ever, and they treat this delicate subject with grace and tact. It makes being a gay teenager a little more bearable, because it is one of the few movies in which the gay lead finds love, and survives. An altogether edifying experience.