Tonight we welcome three time Oscar-nominated director James Ivory to Portland to introduce Maurice (1987), starring James Wilby, Hugh Grant, and Rupert Graves. Produced by Ismail Merchant under Merchant Ivory Productions and based on the novel by E.M. Forster, Maurice tells the story of a young man (Wilby) who, trapped by the oppressiveness of Edwardian society, tries to come to terms with and accept his sexuality when he is rejected by his lover (Grant).
Handpicked by Ivory for this event, Maurice is one of the few Merchant-Ivory films for which Ivory served as both screenwriter (with Kit Hesketh-Harvey) and director.
James Ivory grew up in Klamath Falls and graduated from the University of Oregon in 1951. Famously well traveled, he lives in New York and London and does not often visit Portland. His acclaimed filmography includes Autobiography of a Princess (screening on Saturday, Oct. 11), A Room with a View, Howard’s End, The Remains of the Day, Jefferson in Paris, and many more.
Presented as part of the Mid Century Oregon Genius series produced by Anne Richardson with support from the Kinsman Foundation, the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation, and the James and Richard Blue Foundation.