A brief synopsis of the film > > The movie begins with a tutor walking on a beach with a young boy, trying to explain the facts of life. The young boy is Maurice (pronounced "Morris"), who has no father to explain such things to him. The speech and this concept of 'woman', however, only confuses him. Skip to the future as a student at Cambridge University. He is fair-skinned and blond, attractive and intelligent. His uniqueness is that he is ordinary, but will soon become extraordinary on his own, first when he meets Lord Risely (who is quite "of the Oscar Wilde sort") and then finally Clive Durham, a friend of Risley's.  With several sweet moments between them, Maurice and Clive's relationship progresses from there. It culminates beautifully with Maurice climbing through a window at night to slip into Clive's room long enough to kiss him, whisper his love, and then leave. But life can't continue so peacably. The real world awaits, a world that would not understand or accept what they have, despite the fact that they've never consummated anything, mosty due to Clive's wanting to keep their love "pure". The feel of the film takes a drastic turn when a year later they learn of Lord Risley's imprisonment and sentence of hard-labor due to his homosexuality. This marks a change in Clive, who is headed into the lawyer firm himself. Where he was once idealistic and beautiful with an underlying vulnerability, he begins to disconnect himself from Maurice in order to save them both. He shuts himself off to his friend but for a few words every now and then that represent what they once had between them. Maurice, on the other hand, cannot so quickly turn himself off that way, and continues blindly on, confused, self-deprecating and questioning. Until he meets Alec Scudder, the under gamekeeper at Clive's estate. And while Clive submits to society and marries, Maurice finds answers and finally peace in Alec's arms.