MAURICE (1987) | Dir: James Ivory | It is fitting to remember today that the producers wanted Julian Sands to play the titular character in this adaptation of the E.M. Forster novel. Sands, whose body was recovered this week after he went missing in Los Angeles, was a gifted actor. Ultimately, the role went to James Wilby, but it is easy to imagine Sands bringing a thoughtful, sensitivity to the role. MAURICE, in all its glorious Merchant Ivory-ness, manages to break my heart every time. The main character is a young man named Maurice Hall (Wilby), who goes to university and becomes involved with Clive (Hugh Grant), another student. Both men are struggling with their burgeoning homosexuality in a society that criminalizes it and their relationship is tumultuous. Clive confesses his love for Maurice, but ultimately Maurice ends up with Alec Scudder (Rupert Graves). It’s a somewhat happy ending, given that neither commits suicide or ends up in jail or alone or murdered. MAURICE is a study in repressed and restrictive Edwardian England and what is sacrificed by people who adhere to these rules rather than embrace their true nature. When I saw this film in college, it struck a nerve. I identified so strongly with Clive, who yearns for love and connection, but cannot find the courage to risk it. I am grateful to the Merchant-Ivory team (and Forster) for showing another path, via Maurice.
