The Lonely Passion Of Judith Hearne (1987)

Set in 1950 Dublin, an aging spinster (Maggie Smith) with a secret drinking problem arrives at a shabby boarding house hoping for a new start. When she meets the landlady's (Marie Kean, BARRY LYNDON) unrefined brother (Bob Hoskins), she fancies he's attracted to her and thinks that she has finally met the man she's been waiting for all her life. But fate has other things in store for her. If asked, most people would probably say THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE is Smith's best performance. It's not. It's THE LONELY PASSION OF JUDITH HEARNE. All the actress-y mannerisms that her fans love are absent here. Smith's performance is open and raw and ultimately heartbreaking, a devastating portrait of a desperate woman at the end of her tether, a woman whose illusions and beliefs have been torn from her and who now sees the abyss. Based on the novel by Brian Moore and directed by Jack Clayton. Clayton is a director who understands women and several actresses have done some of their very best work under his direction (Simone Signoret, Anne Bancroft, Deborah Kerr) and under his guidance, Smith gives a blistering performance. The subtle score is by Georges Delerue. George Harrison and Elton John are among the producers. With Wendy Hiller and Ian McNiece.