The Lady in the Van
2015 · 104 min · Director: Nicholas Hytner
Show plot summary (may contain spoilers)
This movie tells the true story of Alan Bennett's (Alex Jennings') strained friendship with Miss Mary Shepherd (Dame Maggie Smith), an eccentric homeless woman who Bennett befriended in the 1970s before allowing her temporarily to park her Bedford van in the driveway of his Camden house. She stayed there for fifteen years. As the story develops, Bennett learns that Miss Shepherd is really Margaret Fairchild (died 1989), a former gifted pupil of pianist Alfred Cortot. She had played Chopin in a promenade concert, tried to become a nun, was committed to an institution by her brother, escaped, had an accident when her van was hit by a motorcyclist for which she believed herself to blame, and thereafter lived in fear of arrest.
Emotional fingerprint
The Lady in the Van (2015) — Movie. Top emotional signals: Sympathy 30%, Humor 25%, Melancholy 20%. Source: AI estimate. Shares describe emotional signal, not percentages of people. Your experience may differ. How we measure
- Sympathy30%
- Humor25%
- Melancholy20%
- Empathy15%
- Satisfaction10%
AI estimate · no viewer votes yet
How we measure
AI estimate
Share of emotional signal, not the percentage of people or a probability of enjoyment.
Each viewer contributes one response, split equally across their selected emotions. When available, an automated estimate supplies a prior that is blended with those responses. Counts include distinct viewers, not automated estimates or archived anonymous votes. Fewer than 3 viewers is an early estimate; more responses do not guarantee certainty.
Why it feels this way
The strongest emotional signals are Sympathy, Humor, Melancholy. Genres: Comedy, Drama, Biography. AI estimate.
Is it worth watching?
Consider this title if you are looking for Sympathy, Humor and Melancholy. Its IMDb rating of 6.7/10 suggests a generally positive audience reception. For these leading emotions, its Feel Score is 69/100.
How did it make you feel?
Votes are saved to the fingerprint once you’re signed in.
Pick up to three · 0/3
Emotional journey
- Empathy
- Sadness
- Humor
Not enough subtitle evidence
No dominant emotion
Dominant emotion: Humor
Dominant emotion: Tension
Dominant emotion: Curiosity
Dominant emotion: Sadness
Dominant emotion: Empathy
Dominant emotion
| % | Approximate minute | Dominant emotion | Overall intensity | Empathy | Sadness | Humor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 % | ≈ 3′ | Humor | 43 % | 15 % | 5 % | 37 % |
| 7.5 % | ≈ 8′ | Humor | 43 % | 16 % | 8 % | 40 % |
| 12.5 % | ≈ 13′ | Humor | 43 % | 21 % | 11 % | 43 % |
| 17.5 % | ≈ 18′ | Humor | 43 % | 25 % | 10 % | 43 % |
| 22.5 % | ≈ 23′ | Humor | 44 % | 23 % | 6 % | 44 % |
| 27.5 % | ≈ 29′ | Humor | 48 % | 25 % | 11 % | 39 % |
| 32.5 % | ≈ 34′ | Tension | 49 % | 34 % | 20 % | 31 % |
| 37.5 % | ≈ 39′ | Humor | 43 % | 35 % | 20 % | 33 % |
| 42.5 % | ≈ 44′ | Humor | 43 % | 34 % | 21 % | 28 % |
| 47.5 % | ≈ 49′ | Curiosity | 48 % | 34 % | 23 % | 21 % |
| 52.5 % | ≈ 55′ | Humor | 45 % | 33 % | 21 % | 30 % |
| 57.5 % | ≈ 60′ | Humor | 48 % | 39 % | 32 % | 35 % |
| 62.5 % | ≈ 65′ | Sadness | 51 % | 45 % | 40 % | 30 % |
| 67.5 % | ≈ 70′ | Empathy | 50 % | 46 % | 34 % | 25 % |
| 72.5 % | ≈ 75′ | Empathy | 55 % | 54 % | 39 % | 19 % |
| 77.5 % | ≈ 81′ | Sadness | 60 % | 60 % | 50 % | 15 % |
| 82.5 % | ≈ 86′ | Empathy | 63 % | 61 % | 55 % | 11 % |
| 87.5 % | ≈ 91′ | Sadness | 66 % | 63 % | 57 % | 13 % |
| 92.5 % | ≈ 96′ | Empathy | 60 % | 54 % | 44 % | 25 % |
| 97.5 % | ≈ 101′ | Humor | 50 % | 42 % | 25 % | 32 % |
Riches to rags
Rags to riches: The emotional tone rises from negative to positive.
Riches to rags: The emotional tone falls from positive to negative.
Man in a hole: The tone falls, then recovers.
Icarus: The tone rises, then falls.
Cinderella: The tone rises, falls, then rises again.
Oedipus: The tone falls, rises, then falls again.
AI reading of the film’s English subtitles (dialogue and sound cues) — not viewer votes. How we measure ↗
Afterward Reveal viewer responses · may contain spoilers
Viewer responses about feelings after the title ended, separate from feelings while watching. No AI estimates.
0 responses so far
Feeling details appear after at least 3 viewers respond, to protect privacy.
Cast
Details
- Directed by
- Nicholas Hytner
- Written by
- Alan Bennett
- Type
- Movies
- Released
- 2015
- Runtime
- 104 min
- Country
- United Kingdom, United States
- Ratings
- Feels mostly
- Sympathy
- Data updated
Where to watch
Subscription
Rent
Feels similar
More like this →Emotion overlap shows mood similarity, not a prediction of enjoyment.
