This is a story about a split screenwriter and a homeless old woman, a story about escapism and love, a story about self-salvation and self-reconciliation, a story with a regrettable process but a warm ending, and a story about Alan Bennett and Shepherd , is also the story they tell us... "Don't put yourself in the work, but find yourself in it", so we will get more out of it.
Playwright Alan Bennett moves to a new neighborhood and is caught by a homeless old lady who drives her van in front of various parking spaces in search of the ideal sojourn. The residents of the neighborhood had to show kindness to the Ms. Sheppard because of the reputation of the neighborhood. The residents who were selected by Sheppard were afraid to speak, and those who were not selected were secretly delighted. But soon Alan Bennett heard all kinds of rumors about Ms. Sheppard from the neighbors: being a nun, committing mistakes, having no family, having a perverse temperament...
Most of these rumors are true, at least according to Alan's observations. Sheppard rejected all possibilities of intimacy, and she still showed obvious coldness in the face of the goodwill and malice of the residents and social workers in the neighborhood. She would rather use inexperienced tricks in exchange for the necessities of her livelihood, rather than being relieved and not admitting to accepting alms, "I am not a beggar, I am a businessman." She used the so-called rules to draw a big gap between herself and others, and every cell in her body seemed to shout to others: "Get away from me."
But it was the "rules" that put Sheppard in a sudden quandary. On-street parking was banned and she had to find a legal parking spot. So Alan's yard with a parking space was favored by Sheppard. Under the moral kidnapping, Alan agreed to Shepherd's request to park the car in his yard, at least the warm and emotional half A in Alan's spiritual world agreed, while the rational and calm half B had no choice but to compromise. Writing scripts at his desk, he never had an opinion on life, the yard, and the world beyond.
Living under one roof, Alan has more observations on Sheppard. Although the door is closed, she can be seen praying to the statue; Sheppard is always angry when Alain plays music, even though she claims to have studied piano in Paris. At first, Alan naturally didn't believe it, but after several occasional verifications, Alan felt that maybe what the old lady said was true. What had she been through, why she lived in a van, why there was always a blackmailer who came to harass her on a regular basis.
Alan wanted to know everything about Shepherd's past, at least the a in Alan wanted to know. Some people also think that Alan can write Shepherd into the script, just like writing his mother into the script, but Alan B is very mindful. Although he and his mother have not always gotten along closely, but comparing Shepherd with his mother, b still is rejected. In this way, Shepherd never mentioned her secret, and Alan never asked. They were like this, disturbing each other, relying on each other, and living together for 15 spring and summer.
Although Alan's mother complained about this couple every time she came here in the past 15 years, including the truck in the yard, Alan refused to accept her mother's suggestion, "You have your own home and yard", so for 15 years nothing happened Change. It can't be said that it hasn't changed, Sheppard and Alan's mother are inevitably old. On the one hand, Sheppard is increasingly leaving the van to reminisce about the past and the good times the piano has brought her to the beach in her hometown. On the other hand, Alan's mother suffered from cerebrovascular disease and was in a coma in the rehabilitation center.
Two high-spirited women who used to dictate their own lives are now being watched, like they jumped up a slide at the top of a mountain, and Alan watched as they whizzed past, accelerating toward the end of their lives. . Alan suddenly realized that whether it was for Shepard, for his mother, or for his own life, he was the one standing by the window and never really stepped out. If Shepherd was escaping by imprisoning himself in the van. Then he was hiding by splitting himself.
Sheppard resigned in his yard the day after she confided the secret to Alan, her van, she must have gone to heaven with music. And Alan also decided to take his mother from the rehabilitation center home to take care of him. Alan hugged his mother, and unlike the ones that had been set up in the past—not when she gave him his birthday present, or the hug before he got on the bus on his first day of school—it was completely sudden. He hugged her tightly, obviously not willing to let go. And Alan also planned to write Shepherd's story into the script, in fact, when a and b discussed it, b did not refuse.
When the movie camera was cast on Alan's empty desk chair, a sense of relief suddenly appeared, a would no longer live alone, b would no longer write alone, never thought that the least lonely way is actually become a whole person. "Don't put yourself in the work, find yourself in it." Alain shares what he learned from Sheppard to more people. This is really the best ending.
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