Maura and Maggie face the odds of the entertainment industry, defying societal expectations and age barriers. Equal parts heartfelt and hilarious, Maura & Maggie is a cautionary, inspiring tale of resilience, friendship, and the pursuit of dreams—where truth proves stranger than fiction.
“Before this film is over, I’m going to raise my shirt and show you my bare breasts…”
– Maura
It’s not often that you hear the words heartfelt and hilarious in the same sentence as documentary. However, a pleasant surprise awaits you at Cinequest this year.
Maura and Maggie are friends living in New York City who met later in life. Maura proudly announces that she is 67, has had breast cancer, and wants to become an actress. Maggie has been acting most of her life, but has never made it big, although she had a small part in On Golden Pond.
Throughout much of the film Maura and Maggie discuss their past and families. Maura had 3 husbands, much drama, and several children, but she feels like life has passed her by, as many over 60 women feel. The film spends a little too long interviewing Maura’s brother and sisters, however, interesting background information comes out.
Maura and Maggie walk around New York and film themselves doing little bits from famous films, In my opinion, the film could have benefited from more of those, but the ones they do include are short but fun.
Impatient with not getting a break in someone else’s production, Maura convinces Maggie to work with her and put on their own two person show. Not entirely convinced, Maggie resists, and tries to talk her out it. But eventually they rent a small theater and find a theater professor to be the Director. They fill the theater with friends and other recipients of free tickets.
That’s not the whole story of course, but life goes on and so do Maura and Maggie. The film left me wanting more, and that’s usually a good sign.
Special Note: This film is a Kaiser Permanente Thrive Award Winner. The Cinequest showing on Saturday, March 15 will include an award presentation and moderated conversation with the artists.
Visit Cinequest for show times and to buy tickets.
Debbie Bretschneider
March 8, 2025