VERA DRAKE

Written and directed by Mike Leigh

Imelda Staunton

Premiere date: September 6, 2004 (Venice Film Festival)
R for depiction of strong thematic material.

Vera Drake is the beloved wife of Stan and the mother of Sid and Ethel. Vera spends her days cleaning houses for money and looking in on elderly and sick neighbors out of the kindness of her heart. She even attempts to be a matchmaker for her daughter, inviting a lonely neighbor, Reg, to see if he might be a perfect match for the introverted Ethel. But Vera performs another duty that her family doesn't know about, one that is deeply frowned upon by society. When tragedy befalls a young client of Vera's, the truth comes out, forcing her family to see their mother in an entirely different light.

Venice Film Festival
Golden Lion
Best Actress - Imelda Staunton

3 Academy Award Nominations
Best Director
Best Actress - Imelda Staunton
Best Original Screenplay