Edwardian England by way of 1987 — a moment when telling a story like this on screen still felt quietly radical. Maurice, based on the once-suppressed novel by E.M. Forster, follows a young man discovering love, class difference, and the cost of being true to himself.
The episode explores the emotional restraint of the film, the tenderness in its final act, and what it meant for Merchant Ivory to make a gay love story that ends in hope, not tragedy. There’s also Hugh Grant before he was Hugh Grant, and a conversation about how queer characters were framed then vs. now.
Maurice (1987) was received with measured praise and some controversy upon its release — shaped by the cultural climate of the late '80s and the lingering stigma around queer stories.
Won Best Actor (James Wilby & Hugh Grant, jointly) and Silver Lion for Best Director (James Ivory) at the Venice Film Festival
Nominated for the Golden Lion at Venice
Listen to the episode:
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🌀 Originally released: July 8th, 2023
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