Maggie Smith

                                                                        Final

The only way I know to finish with Dame Maggie Smith is to consolidate some things. So first off would be the Harry Potter films (2001-2011).  She’s in seven of the eight. And in every one Maggie was Professor McGonagal. Not the biggest part in these, but she sure pulls her weight. And after all, she gives Harry his first Quidditch broomstick. A Nimbus 2000 no less. 

Downton Abbey (2010-2015) was the much loved Masterpiece Theater series on PBS. And its fans practically demanded a movie. And they got it in 2022- Downton Abbey: A New Era. And it is pretty good. All of the usual suspects are on board including Maggie Smith as Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham. As the uncrowned matriarch of the family, her rather acerbic character keeps the wheels of the younger crowd turning. The movie involves the frantic preparations for a visit by Royalty to the Abbey. This is the biggest of big deals in Merrie Olde England. Maggie is unperturbed. 

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011) is a hoot. Hotelier Sonny Kapoor (Dev Patel) hoddwinks a staid group of retired Britishers to take up residence in his hotel. To say it is nothing like the advertisements is putting it mildly. But-stiff upper lip and all that- and the new residents make the most of it. Maggie Smith is on hand as Muriel Donnelly. The cast is stellar: Tom Wilkinson, Judi Dench, Bill Nighy. Nighy almost steals the thing as a not-quite-dead resident. So of course there is a sequel: The Second Best Marigold Hotel (2015). Add Richard Gere to the cast. The hotel is in danger of closing. Muriel accompanies Sonny to San Diego where they try to convince a hotel mogul to invest in the Indian hostelries. There are lots of shenanigans winding up with Sonny’s wedding. 

Gosford Park (2001) is right up Maggie’s alley. A Robert Altman entry with many of his tricks. The cast is outstanding: Bob Balaban, Eileen Atkins, Alan Bates, and of course our Maggie as Constance, Dowager Countess of Trentham. A bunch of wealthy Brits are invited to a shooting party (it’s a British thing) at the estate of Sir William McCordle (Michael Gambon). Things are going splendidly until one of the guests is murdered. Hijinks follow. The film made lots of money and was nominated for a fistful of Oscars. Maggie got a nomination along with otheres, but lost to Jennifer Connelly for A Beautiful Mind.

Ladies In Lavender (2004) pairs Maggie with fellow icon Judi Dench. They are the Widdington sisters, Janet and Ursula,  who live in a picturesque village in Cornwall. Handsome Andrea Marowski (Daniel Bruhl) washes up on the beach, having been thrown overboard in a shipwreck. He is a budding world famous violinist. The sisters nurse him back to health and Ursula falls in love with the much younger Andrea. He gets his big chance to play with a symphony orchestra and leaves without saying good-bye. But things heal over nicely- the sisters journey to see him play in person, and the villagers listen on the radio. 

We now say a fond farewell to Dame Maggie Smith. Did I cover all of her films? Lord no, I just hit the high spots.