The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Ronald Neame

Writers:

Muriel Spark (novel)
Jay Presson Allen (play)

Release Date:

January 1969 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Music | Romance

Tagline:

In the surprising world of Jean Brodie, there were two men and four girls.

Plot:

A headstrong young teacher in a private school in 1930s Edinburgh ignores the curriculum and influences her impressionable 12 year old charges with her over-romanticized world view.

Plot Keywords:

Teacher | School | 1930s | Schoolteacher | Influence

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 4 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Maggie Smith	...	Jean Brodie
Robert Stephens	...	Teddy Lloyd
Pamela Franklin	...	Sandy
Gordon Jackson	...	Gordon Lowther
Celia Johnson	...	Miss Mackay
Diane Grayson	...	Jenny
Jane Carr	...	Mary McGregor
Shirley Steedman	...	Monica
Lavinia Lang	...	Emily Carstairs
Antoinette Biggerstaff	...	Helen McPhee
Margo Cunningham	...	Miss Campbell
Isla Cameron	...	Miss McKenzie
Rona Anderson	...	Miss Lockhart
Ann Way	...	Miss Gaunt
Molly Weir	...	Miss Allison Kerr

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

UK:15 (video rating) | UK:AA (original rating) | Canada:PG (video rating) | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15 | USA:M (original rating) | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Barnbougle Castle, Dalmeny, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Productions

Trivia:

Director Ronald Neame never read the novel from which this film is adapted.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Jenny and Sandy are toasting bread in the fireplace, they grab the ends of the forks that were in the flames. Of course, these would be too hot to touch.

Quotes:

Teddy Lloyd: [to Jean] What do you want me to do... ravish you on the floor for the edification of your girls?

Movie Connections:

Featured in Scotland on Screen (2009) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Jean

Maggie Smith does it again

I don't know about you, but every time I see Maggie Smith on the screen it's always a good sign to stick around for the whole movie. It holds true with The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. A rather slow-moving, at first, and quiet movie, it has a certain seductiveness to it that's just below the surface. As you watch the movie you can almost feel and see the emotions building up. Always at the edge and never missing a beat, Smith executes her role with absolute perfection and in doing so driving the audience insane. Pamela Franklin also comes through as a girl changes Miss Brodie's outlook on her and changes our outlook on Miss Brodie. Torn between rooting for her and hating her, and mostly you'll be doing the latter, Miss Brodie is a character with far less facets to her than one might expect. Only once again proving that trust can be misplaced and appearances can be deceiving.