Stevie **** (1978, Glenda Jackson, Mona Washbourne, Trevor Howard, Alec McCowen) – Classic Movie Review 10,022

The 1978 drama film Stevie is a beautiful, supremely moving character-driven portrait of the British poet Stevie Smith (Glenda Jackson) and of her simple, loving relationship with the ‘lion aunt’ (Mona Washbourne). 

Director Robert Enders’s 1978 biographical drama film Stevie is based on the stage play by Hugh Whitemore, and stars Glenda Jackson, Mona Washbourne, with Trevor Howard, Alec McCowen and Emma Louise Fox in support.

It is a beautiful, supremely moving character-driven portrait of the British poet Stevie Smith (Glenda Jackson) and of her simple, loving relationship with the ‘lion aunt’ (Mona Washbourne), with whom she lived eccentrically in deepest English suburbia.

Jackson and Washbourne played it on the London stage at the Vaudeville Theatre in 1977 and warmed the deepest cockles of the stoniest heart. We should be profoundly grateful that they recorded their stupendous performances, and if it is not much as a film, it does not really matter. Making the ordinary special is a hard trick to bring off but Hugh Whitemore’s screenplay does it admirably.

Jackson won the New York film critics’ Best Actress award and Washbourne won the New York film critics’ Best Supporting Actress award in 1981. Both actresses were Golden Globe nominated. Jackson also won the Best Actress award at the Montréal World Film Festival (1978). It should have had many more, prestigious awards, but never mind, who cares when it is such a beautiful, supremely moving experience.

Stevie is directed by Robert Enders, runs 102 minutes, is made by First Artists, Bowden Productions and Grand Metropolitan, is released by Enterprise (1978) (UK) and First Artists Releasing (1978) (US), Hugh Whitemore, is shot in Technicolor by Freddie Young, is produced by Robert Enders, is scored by Patrick Gowers and is designed by Robert Jones.

Glenda May Jackson CBE (9 May 1936 – 15 June 2023).

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,022

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