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The 1987 film Maurice stays close to the novel’s spirit and follows almost the same chronology, but it is not simply a scene-for-scene transfer. Its most notable adaptation choices concern narrative ordering and the emphasis of its final moments. E. M. Forster began writing the novel in the 1910s; it was published posthumously in 1971, before James Ivory’s film arrived in 1987.
What the novel and film have in common
Both versions follow Maurice Hall’s coming of age and his relationships with Clive Durham and Alec Scudder, amid restrictive social conditions. The BFI describes the story’s period as one in which male homosexuality was illegal in Britain. That Edwardian setting is distinct from the circumstances in which the film was released decades later.
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Maurice | $0.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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Maurice (Faber Illustrated Classics) | $22.95 | Buy on Amazon |
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Maurice by E. M. Forster (Book Analysis): Detailed Summary, Analysis and Reading Guide... | $9.99 | Buy on Amazon |
Forster began writing Maurice in the 1910s, but it was first published after his death in 1971, as Merchant Ivory Productions notes on its film page. The screen version followed in 1987. Claire Tomalin, reviewing the film for the BFI’s Sight and Sound archive, wrote: “The film would, I think, give Forster great pleasure.”
How closely does the film follow the book?
The available evidence supports a broad comparison, not a complete inventory of altered scenes or dialogue. A study of screenplay drafts finds that the writers experimented with narrative order, while the released film follows almost the chronology of the novel. That makes the film broadly faithful in its overall progression, even though adaptation decisions were made along the way.
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The two forms also tell a story differently. Forster’s prose can render a character’s thoughts and development directly; the film communicates through performance and images within a 140-minute running time. The BFI’s film record lists James Ivory as director, Ismail Merchant as producer, and Ivory and Kit Hesketh-Harvey as screenwriters. James Wilby plays Maurice, Hugh Grant plays Clive, and Rupert Graves plays Alec. Without a direct scene-by-scene comparison, it would be misleading to claim precisely which thoughts, scenes, or lines were cut or changed.
The ending: shared hope, different emphasis
Forster insisted on giving the novel a happy ending, an act of defiance against social disapproval. BFI commentary describes the film as faithful to the spirit of the novel, while a separate BFI feature draws attention to the film’s emphasis in its final moments. The supported distinction is one of emphasis: both versions preserve the importance of a hopeful resolution, but the film gives its conclusion a particular screen presence. The sources do not establish a detailed account of how every element of the ending differs.
The story’s period and the film’s 1980s reception
The story’s setting and the film’s release context should not be conflated. The BFI notes that male homosexuality was illegal in the period depicted and refers to partial decriminalisation in Britain in 1967. The film, released in 1987, reached audiences amid homophobic attitudes and AIDS-era public anxiety, a context the BFI discusses in its feature on the film. Those circumstances shaped the moment of reception; they are not the story’s Edwardian setting.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which version should you choose?
Forster’s novel is the better route into Maurice’s inner development through prose; Ivory’s film offers a visual performance of much the same story, with its own concluding emphasis. If you watch the film first, reading the novel afterward lets you experience the source’s character development in its original form. The comparison is most useful when treated as two closely related versions rather than as a checklist of changes.
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