Many parallels can be drawn between this film and Nabokov's work, the most obvious connection being the age difference, but a plethora of others can be drawn as well: while at first the older gentleman is the pursuer, the younger paramour of interest ends up pursuing the pursuer by regurgitating the romantic and sexual interest emanated by the older gentleman. Not to mention the professions of the older gentleman revolve around teaching, and prominent scenes feature stage performances, though Nabokov sees Lolita performing on stage whilst this film sees Maurice as the performer yet Alan takes an interest in Maurice's stage performing. Perhaps most prominently, however, both stories end rather tragically. Lolita gets married and bears a child with another man, whilst Maurice leaves Alan -- they both end in separation.
In both stories we see an effervescent mother who is hellbent on keeping the male encroacher, though reasons vary ; Nabokov's Charlotte is smitten with Humbert Humbert whilst this film has Alan's mother seemingly only interested in hiring the best tutor for her son (but perhaps there is more than meets the eye to this line of story).
We also see flashbacks to Maurice's childhood in a similar fashion that Adrian Lyne opens his 1997 remake of Lolita, showing a fourteen-year-old Humbert Humbert and what drove him to be the man he is today. It is revealed in both stories that the men's childhoods are responsible for their tragic attractions to minors: Humbert Humbert lost his childhood sweetheart to illness, whilst Maurice was sexualized by his stepfather.
In my opinion this film is a true masterpiece. It rings pangs of truth which strum at one's heartstrings. Whilst it is a homoerotic film, it goes far deeper than that. Notably both Lolita and Alan are missing fathers, and Maurice himself had a stepfather. It speaks to the pains of fatherlessness, and the consequences of it. While these consequences may seem painful, they can also be beautiful, as evident in both "Lolita" and "What We Have." Beautiful, even if in a tragic way.
To paraphrase the character Lana Lang from Smallville, "Change can be painful, but it can also be beautiful. Many times it is both."
That is what this film is: Beautiful pain, painful beauty. Life.
We see a defiance of societal norms in both stories, both men turning down women their age; H. H. turns down Lolita's mother Charlotte whilst Maurice turns down his female costar on stage. These men reject what perhaps most men would readily grab should they have the chance (well, perhaps not Charlotte).
In both stories we see an effervescent mother who is hellbent on keeping the male encroacher, though reasons vary ; Nabokov's Charlotte is smitten with Humbert Humbert whilst this film has Alan's mother seemingly only interested in hiring the best tutor for her son (but perhaps there is more than meets the eye to this line of story).
We also see flashbacks to Maurice's childhood in a similar fashion that Adrian Lyne opens his 1997 remake of Lolita, showing a fourteen-year-old Humbert Humbert and what drove him to be the man he is today. It is revealed in both stories that the men's childhoods are responsible for their tragic attractions to minors: Humbert Humbert lost his childhood sweetheart to illness, whilst Maurice was sexualized by his stepfather.
In my opinion this film is a true masterpiece. It rings pangs of truth which strum at one's heartstrings. Whilst it is a homoerotic film, it goes far deeper than that. Notably both Lolita and Alan are missing fathers, and Maurice himself had a stepfather. It speaks to the pains of fatherlessness, and the consequences of it. While these consequences may seem painful, they can also be beautiful, as evident in both "Lolita" and "What We Have." Beautiful, even if in a tragic way.
To paraphrase the character Lana Lang from Smallville, "Change can be painful, but it can also be beautiful. Many times it is both."
That is what this film is: Beautiful pain, painful beauty. Life.
We see a defiance of societal norms in both stories, both men turning down women their age; H. H. turns down Lolita's mother Charlotte whilst Maurice turns down his female costar on stage. These men reject what perhaps most men would readily grab should they have the chance (well, perhaps not Charlotte).