FilmSkool — a free film school
The Iron Lady
A look at the life of Margaret Thatcher, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, with a focus on the price she paid for power.
2011 · Directed by Phyllida Lloyd · 105 min · History · Drama · Screenplay in the scene database · 11 frames
Tagline
Never Compromise.
Plot
The story begins with Thatcher in the present experiencing dementia and seeing her deceased husband Denis with her as a ghost. In a series of flashbacks, the young Margaret Roberts works at the family grocer's shop in Grantham, listening to the political speeches of her father, whom she idolises; it is also hinted that she has a poor relationship with her mother, a housewife.
She wins a place at Somerville College, Oxford University. She struggles as a young lower-middle-class woman attempting to break into a snobbish male-dominated Conservative Party and find a seat in the House of Commons. She meets affluent businessman Denis Thatcher who is impressed by her eloquence and asks her to marry him; she accepts, but only after telling him she will not be satisfied to look beautiful at his side and be a mere housewife and mother: "I don't want to die cleaning a teacup."
Her struggles to fit in as a "Lady Member" of the House and as Education Secretary in Edward Heath's Cabinet are also shown, as are her friendship with Airey Neave, her decision to stand for Leader of the Conservative Party, her eventual victory, her voice coaching and image change.
Plot summary from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.
Crew
- Screenplay: Abi Morgan
- Cinematography: Elliot Davis
- Edited by: Justine Wright
- Music: Thomas Newman
- Production design: Simon Elliott
- Produced by: Damian Jones, Anita Overland, Colleen Woodcock
Cast
- Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher
- Jim Broadbent as Denis Thatcher
- Olivia Colman as Carol Thatcher
- Roger Allam as Gordon Reece
- Susan Brown as June
- Nick Dunning as Jim Prior
- Nicholas Farrell as Airey Neave
- Iain Glen as Alfred Roberts
- Richard E. Grant as Michael Heseltine
- Anthony Stewart Head as Geoffrey Howe
Production
- Country: United Kingdom, France, United States of America
- Language: English
- Studios: UK Film Council, DJ Films, Film4 Productions, Goldcrest Films International
- Budget: $13,000,000
- Box office: $115,890,792
- Themes: capitalism, prime minister, based on true story, argentina, british overseas territory, war propaganda, british politics, british prime minister, female politician, falklands war
Own the film
FilmSkool earns a small commission from qualifying Amazon purchases, at no cost to you.
More by Phyllida Lloyd
On this film
This is the plain index, shown because JavaScript is off. Every lesson here is a free video published by the channel credited on it and plays through that channel's own embed — FilmSkool hosts nothing.