The Lonely Passion Of Judith Hearne

This is one of those beautiful, painstakingly detailed character portraits that people too often characterize as "slow-moving". Maggie Smith delivers her best performance since The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in the plum role of Judith Hearne, an aging spinster who squandered the best years of her life caring for a cantankerous aunt (Wendy Hiller). Taking up residence in a Dublin boarding house, she meets and falls in love with the landlord's brother (Bob Hoskins). Hoskins thinks he maybe onto a business partner in Smith; while Smith thinks he loves her for her sake. The revelations that gradually unpeel to expose the raw center of Judith Hearne are painful to watch. A victim of both the bottle and history, Judith Hearne's plight is both sympathetic and strangely uplifting. When she renounces God in front of a Catholic priest, all viewers who feel for suffering humanity give a silent cheer. Sure, the film's a bit slow. But let's face it, there's more to life than car chases and spaceships. Highly recommended. (Available from: Ingram Video, 347 Reedwood Dr., Nashville, TN 37217-2919.)