The image of a British working class middle-aged housewife is of someone prim, proper, polite (quite a use of the letter ‘p’), always mindful of her family..and friends, and serving lots of tea. This, of course, is not always the most accurate, and a visualization that is old-fashioned, but one that comes to mind nonetheless. Certainly, a person befitting this description would not get in trouble, or be a rabble rouser of any sort.
For the title character of “”Vera Drake””, a new film from director Mike Leigh (“”Secrets and Lies””, “”Topsy Turvy””), this does not appear to be the case as she acts in violation of Offences Against the Person Act of 1861. This multi-purpose law, among other things, outlawed abortions until about the 1960s. Unfortunately for the protagonist, this story is set in 1950, and hence is performing with the chance of being arrested and charged.The film begins not with Mrs. Drake (Imelda Staunton) helping one neighbor, the invalid George (Richard Graham), and then inviting another–lonely Reg (Eddie Marsan)–over to dinner with her family. It seems that Vera’s is a busy life, taking care of her husband Stan (Philip Davis) and her two grown children–Sid (Daniel Mays) and Ethel (Alex Kelly)–who live at home, as well as her bedridden mum (Sandra Voe). She also works at housekeeping jobs, particularly for the Wells (Simon Chandler and Lesley Manville), a prominent local family as Mr. Wells works for the Ministry of Defense.This first section of the film jumps around, focusing on the different aspects of the characters’ lives, mainly Vera’s. The movie also shows the Wells household, as their daughter Susan (Sally Hawkins) prepares for a date, and also provides glimpses of Stan working as a mechanic with his brother Frank (Adrian Scarborough), Sid working as a tailor and then hanging out with his friends at a local dance hall, and Ethel at her job in a light bulb factory. Frank’s home life is also depicted, as he copes with wife Joyce (Heather Craney) and her desire for a bigger house and to start their own family (i.e., have kids).After the first 20 minutes or so of ‘visiting’ these different lifestyles, Mrs. Drake is seen visiting a young woman equipped with, among other things, a pump of some sort, and soapy water. Apparently, Vera provides abortions for lower-income women (those in the upper class can have these procedures done more legitimately, but more on that in a moment). Though she means well, there is a great risk involved since the materials she has are limited–she is not a hospital after all–but the individuals have little choice, be they young, pregnant from extramarital affairs, or migrant workers (such as a West Indian she attends to).Vera gets her list of prospective patients from Lilly (Ruth Sheen)–the latter meets with the women and then refers over to the former. The transactions between Mrs. Drake and Lily consist of an exchange of names, and sweets and sardines; Vera isn’t seeking payment for her services (?), rather just the chance to be helpful, just as she is assisting her neighbor George, making tea and biscuits for visitors, or matchmaking Reg with her daughter Ethel.The matter of abortions, at this time period, is not to be taken lightly, and Vera keeps her cool despite taking part in controversial and dangerous operations…and running the risk of going to jail. She goes about her life relaxed, as her family is unaware of her side exploits, and instead focuses on the budding relationship between Reg and Ethel.[pagebreak]””Vera Drake”” starts off relatively light, but becomes more serious as the film progresses, culminating in the final scenes which are truly somber. The shift in tone may seem extreme, but is not too surprising given the actions of the characters. The latter bits of the flick are the strongest, as Staunton shows off her acting skills and gives true emotion to a person in trouble, and facing consequences of her actions.The other actors do well also, including Davis as Vera’s devoted husband. Despite his divergent views, he is loyal to his spouse, and sticks by her to the end. The movie uses his—and other characters–to depict not only both sides of the central debate, but also a middle ground.The story takes a while to get going, however, and the focus keeps going around, as mentioned earlier, from Vera to various other individuals. While these are all interesting in their own way, this can be a bit confusing, and it is not certain what the story is–that is, until Vera provides her first house call.On this subject, there is also a sub-plot involving Susan Wells, and her own troubles. While this serves to show the class divide (a big issue everywhere, but especially in England), Susan’s story ends midway through, and neither she nor the rest of her family are seen in the movie’s second half. This is not to say this plot doesn’t have its moments–such as Ms. Wells visiting a psychiatrist–but doesn’t seem to fit (i.e., the movie didn’t necessarily need it).Still, Staunton does a great job, and her final moments as Vera really becomes her role. The film, while seeming to have its own stance on the issue, shows various sides of the abortion debate, an issue that resonates even now, half a century later, and another continent away. “”Vera Drake”” also shows that not everything is so pristine, and sometimes people have other sides–though as far as the protagonist is concerned, doing what she does is just an extension of being the ‘helpful neighbor’.The issue of abortion is not settled in this movie either, though it examines the idea that things are not just a matter of pro-life or pro-choice, but whether to support a close one in time of need regardless of views.Grade: BEM Reviewby Andrew Haas10/22/04