“Lady in the Van” (2015) is the “mostly true” story of an older homeless woman who imposes herself on the well-to-do neighbourhood of Camden in London in the 1970’s.
Miss Shepherd is an ‘educated woman’ with a colourful past. Once a concert pianist, then a nun, she is racked by a full blown Catholic guilt of a car accident, and the paranoia that the police are after her. Her ungodly stench is quite exaggeratedly drawn attention to throughout the movie, an overblown and childish stereotype. However the eccentricities of her character and Maggie Smith’s expert performance make the Lady in the Van more than a two dimensional story.
The real stench that Miss Shepherd brings to the neighbourhood is the visual reminder of poverty, and of ageing than she brings to the street of young middle class professionals. She refuses to be moved along or be made invisible, instead painting her van bright yellow, making her presence known.
For Alan Bennet (Alex Jennings), a single, gay playwright who has just moved into the neighbourhood, she is a reminder of his guilt about his own mother, who he has abandoned to an old people’s home. He is in two minds about allowing the lady to park in his driveway. He is portrayed by two versions of himself, the writer and the real life person, a clunky device that makes it seem like he is in a relationship with himself. It is also vaguely suggested that he is sleeping with younger actors who visit his home, to the displeasure of Miss Shepherd. The coyness with which the film addresses homosexuality makes it seem like this film was made in 1970, not 2015. The clash of morality between the generous, gay, modern playwright, and the rude, Catholic, old fashioned Miss Shepherd is a theme of the movie, but the conflict isn’t brought to the fore.
Miss Shepherds’ unpleasant disposition might make audiences feel as though she ’chose’ to be in such a situation, but as she explains to Alan, “I didn’t choose – I was chosen”. The tragic situation that led to her becoming homeless is also shown to be a product of a society who look away from and reject women like her, despite her being a loyal monarchist, god-fearing, and educated woman.