Plot: WHAT MAISIE KNEW is a contemporary New York City re-visioning of the Henry James novel by the same name, written by Carroll Cartwright and Nancy Doyne. It revolves around unwitting 7-year-old Maisie, caught in the middle of a custody battle between her mother Suzanna, an aging rock star, and her father, Beale, a major art dealer. In a race to win the court's advantage, Beale marries Maisie's nanny Margo, prompting Suzanna in turn to marry friend and local bartender, Lincoln. Both forced into a battle neither wishes to be a part of, Margo and Lincoln come to empathize with Maisie's position and over time with one another's. Teased by the notion of making their own surrogate family, the trio must either submit to the will of Maisie's parents or eventually face their wrath.
Alternative Plot: The offspring of a hot-headed musician (Julianne Moore) and an art dealer (Steve Coogan), little Maisie (Onata Aprile) learns the hard way about how difficult divorce can be on a youngster. The quiet, obedient child gets caught in the middle as her self-absorbed parents use her as a pawn in a bitter custody battle. After her parents marry new mates, Maisie finds reason to hope for some genuine affection -- but permanent damage to her psyche may have already been done.
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