Sally Hawkins delivers an unforgettable performance as Nova Scotian folk artist Maude Lewis in this gently flowing biopic set in the 1930s.

Despite his best efforts, Ethan Hawke is miscast (and mismatched with Hawkins) as Lewis' chronically cranky, abusive husband Everett, an antisocial fish hawker who hires Lewis as his housekeeper but becomes her husband. Nonetheless, Hawkins charms with her ability to convey Lewis' impish buoyancy despite moments of heartbreak and her physical deterioration from rheumatoid arthritis. Her creative verve, which bubbles up across the walls of their one-room house and the cards and paintings that led to her fame, is infectious, inspiring, and life-affirming.