The Lady in the Van "The Lady in the Van" was greenlit on 3 June 2014, with TriStar Productions and BBC Films working together to make the film adaptation of Alan Bennett's West End hit. TriStar won the film rights to handle worldwide distribution, while the BBC was the first to show the film on television in the UK. The involvement of Maggie Smith and Nicholas Hytner was announced simultaneously with the film, but they were attached to the project as early as 9 May (coincidentally Bennett's 80th birthday). Both of them had collaborated with Bennett in the past; Hytner on "The Madness of King
The Lady in the Van a fine, moving comedy of English manners between a writer and his eccentric tenant, which slowly deepens into an exploration of human bonds". In a similar fashion, Peter Bradshaw, of "The Guardian", awarded four out of five stars and called it an "enjoyable film from Nicholas Hytner". While he felt Smith’s performance - "honed from previous stage and radio" adaptations - was "terrifically good", he praised Jennings for giving a "sharp and sympathetic performance as Bennett". Donald Clarke, of "The Irish Times", awarded the film three out of five stars. He said Smith's role is "indecently appropriate", while de la