• Skip to content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Shop ModernMom
  • Become An Insider

ModernMom

The premiere destination for moms

  • Parenting
    • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Kids
    • Tweens and Teens
    • ModernMom Monday Videos
  • Cooking
  • Living Healthy
    • Breast Cancer
    • Health & Fitness
    • Body after Baby
    • Beauty
    • Relationships
    • Love
  • Lifestyle
    • Crafts
    • At Home
    • Education
    • Travel
    • Pets
    • Decorate
    • Money
    • Brooke Burke
  • Celebrate
    • Holidays
      • Easter
      • Valentine’s Day
      • New Year’s
      • Christmas
      • Hanukah
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
    • Birthdays
    • Parties
  • Must Have
  • Contests
  • Entertainment

What Maisie Knew

May 31, 2013 by ModernMom Staff Leave a Comment

In 1897, Henry James published a novel about a young child shuttled back and forth between her irresponsible divorced parents. 

Although the premise is more than a century old, “What Maisie Knew” is perfectly re-told in modern day New York in a film adaptation that’s both beautiful and hauntingly sad.

The movie shows a bitter custody battle through the eyes of the six-year-old at the center of the dispute.

Maisie’s parents Susanna and Beale (played by Julianne Moore and Steve Coogan) are spoiled and selfish, using their daughter as a pawn in a messy divorce when not neglecting her entirely.

“Susanna toys with her emotions, cooing “You know I love you more than anything” while fobbing off the child to the nearest care-taker; Beale ignores her, or talks to her as if she’s a small adult. Left with strangers and doormen, as if she’s a not-very-valuable package, Maisie grows accustomed to waiting; what she knows is that she doesn’t always matter,” wrote Moira Macdonald in the Seattle Times.

As the film goes on, the audience watches as Maisie’s parents re-marry in a flash, and she is thrown into a confusing world of step-parents and shifting households. Her “almost-casual loss of innocence” is made even more moving and painful thanks to a brilliant performance by the young Onata Aprile.

“As a tiny Alice navigating a very strange Wonderland, young Aprile will break your heart,” wrote Macdonald. “She’s perfectly natural in front of the camera, quietly taking things in. shocking, how much she absorbs a source of sad speculation for any compassionate viewer.”

What Maisie Knew is now playing in theaters in limited release. Visit the film’s website for show times in your area.

Comments

comments

Filed Under: Read - Play - Watch

About ModernMom Staff

Reader Interactions

Primary Sidebar

Tell a friend

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Search

ModernMom Boutique

ModernMom TV

Featured

Coconut Oil

Why Coconut Oil Is So Good For Pregnant & Nursing Mothers

“Coconut oil contains large amounts of lauric acid, a … [Read More...] about Why Coconut Oil Is So Good For Pregnant & Nursing Mothers

Must Have

winter

Pre-Holiday Must-Haves

"It's beginning to look  a lot like Christmas..." The … [Read More...] about Pre-Holiday Must-Haves

Did you know?

How Long Can Cupcakes Be Stored After Baking

How Long Can Cupcakes Be Stored After Baking?

what causes baby hiccups

What Causes Baby Hiccups?

How to Break Your Water at Home When Pregnant

How to Break Your Water at Home When Pregnant

Tell If You Are Pregnant While Breastfeeding

How to Tell If You Are Pregnant While Breastfeeding

10 foods to improve sperm count and quality

10 Foods to Improve Sperm Count and Quality

How Early to Take a Pregnancy Test

How Early to Take a Pregnancy Test

What Will Draw Smells Out of a Closet?

What Will Draw Smells Out of a Closet?

Footer

  • About Us
  • Contact ModernMom
  • Advertise With Us
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contributors

Copyright © 2021 Modern Mom. All Rights Reserved.

Reproduction of any portion of this website only at the express permission of Mom, Inc.

The information provided on ModernMom is for educational use only. It should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.