Scrubbers (1982)

Two girls escape from an open borstal for two very different reasons; Annetta to attempt to visit her baby daughter, who is being raised in a convent; and Carol, who hopes to be recaptured ... See full summary »

Director:

Mai Zetterling

Writers:

Susannah Buxton, Roy Minton,

Stars:

Amanda York, Chrissie Cotterill, Elizabeth Edmonds

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Amanda York	...	Carol Howden
Chrissie Cotterill	...	Annetta Brady
Elizabeth Edmonds	...	Kathleen
Kate Ingram	...	Eddie
Amanda Symonds	...	Mac
Kathy Burke	...	Glennis
Debby Bishop	...	Doreen (as Debbie Bishop)
Eva Mottley	...	Pam
Imogen Bain	...	Sandy
Honey Bane	...	Molly
Camille Davis	...	Sharon
Rachel Weaver	...	Gwen (as Rachael Weaver)
Dawn Archibald	...	Mary
Faith Tingle	...	Hilary
Lilian Rostkowska	...	Phyllis

Storyline

Two girls escape from an open borstal for two very different reasons; Annetta to attempt to visit her baby daughter, who is being raised in a convent; and Carol, who hopes to be recaptured and sent to a closed borstal where she knows her girlfriend Doreen is being held. Carol's plan works, although she is devastated to find that not only has Doreen found herself a new girlfriend inside (who both taunt and tease Carol), when Annetta is arrested at the convent and sent to the same closed borstal, she assumes it was Carol who "grassed" her up and proceeds to plan her revenge. Carol finds protection in the form of inmate Eddie, while Annetta's constant bullying attempts keep her in solitary confinement; however, Carol's world is turned upside-down when Eddie is released from bortsal and her protection is gone...

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Plot Keywords:

prison | women's prison | violence | survival | title directed by female | 

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Taglines:

IT'S A CRIME WHAT PRISON CAN DO TO A GIRL!

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

1982 (UK)

Also Known As:

Aonde Nasce um Crime

Filming Locations:

Virginia Water, Surrey, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

HandMade Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie was inspired by the success of the earlier prison picture Scum made and released years about three years earlier. Whereas that gaol film had male inmates this film instead featured female jailbirds. The two movies are considered companion pieces, this film even being referred to as a sequel of sorts; the two films share a number of same and similar story elements common to both movies.

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Quotes

Mac: [Mac's final song] A Borstal girl came home one day / To find her love had gone away / She asked him why he went astray / He turned to her, and he did say / "Once, you could have been my wife / If you had led a decent life / But you preferred a life of crime / So, back in side, and do your time."

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Connections

Referenced in The Gil Mayo Mysteries: Episode #1.8 (2006)

User Reviews

A Common Story With Good Performance, Horrible Pronunciation and Characters not Well Developed

The lesbian Carol Howden (Amanda York) and the troublemaker Annetta Brady (Chrissie Cotterill) escape from a reformatory for different reasons: Carol wants be arrested again and to go to Borstal, where her girlfriend is imprisoned, and Anneta wants to see her daughter in a foster house. They both are sent to Borstal, a prison for young women, where the whole story takes place. Annetta blames Carol for their new arresting. This English movie has a good performance of the cast. However, the characters are so badly developed that we, viewers, do not know the reasons and the motives why the women are confined in such a place. Their accents are horrible and the story has nothing different or special comparing with other movies of this theme. Watchable and forgettable. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): 'Aonde Nasce o Crime' ('Where The Crime is Born')