IMDb > Scandal (1989)
Scandal
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Scandal (1989) -- Sinematurk - Trailer (Flash)
Scandal (1989) -- Clip: Those lazy hazy days of summer song

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Overview

User Rating:
6.3/10   2,003 votes
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Down 14% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Writer:
Michael Thomas (written by)
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Contact:
View company contact information for Scandal on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
28 April 1989 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
The Story That Seduced The World Is Now The Most Controversial Film Of The Year. more
Plot:
An English bon-vivant osteopath is enchanted with a young exotic dancer and invites her to live with him... more | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
(6 articles)
Joanne Whalley interview
 (From The Guardian - Film News. 28 January 2010, 8:51 AM, PST)

The second outing of John Hurt
 (From The Guardian - TV News. 20 November 2009, 4:11 PM, PST)

User Reviews:
Much ado about nothing, well done more (20 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

John Hurt ... Stephen Ward

Joanne Whalley ... Christine Keeler (as Joanne Whalley-Kilmer)

Bridget Fonda ... Mandy Rice-Davies

Ian McKellen ... John Profumo
Leslie Phillips ... Lord Astor (Bill)

Britt Ekland ... Mariella Novotny
Daniel Massey ... Mervyn Griffith-Jones
Roland Gift ... Johnnie Edgecombe
Jean Alexander ... Mrs. Keeler
Alex Norton ... Detective Inspector
Ronald Fraser ... Justice Marshall
Paul Brooke ... John, Detective Sgt.
Jeroen Krabbé ... Eugene Ivanov (as Jeroen Krabbe)
Keith Allen ... Kevin, Reporter Sunday Pictorial

Ralph Brown ... Paul Mann
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Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated R for strong sexuality, and for language.
Runtime:
115 min | USA:106 min | Canada:111 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Fujicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Stephen Frears was considered as director more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: When Christine arrives back at Heathrow from Spain after the scandal breaks, there's a modern illuminated sign in the background as she walks from the gate. more
Quotes:
John Profumo: I have nothing to hide.
Stephen Ward: Come off it John, we all have something to hide, what a boring life it would be if we didn't.
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in Empire of the Censors (1995) (TV) more
Soundtrack:
Nothing Has Been Proved more

FAQ

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6 out of 7 people found the following review useful.
Much ado about nothing, well done, 22 October 2005
9/10
Author: paul2001sw-1 (paul2001sw@yahoo.co.uk) from Saffron Walden, UK

Viewed from the 21st century, the Profumo affair seems much ado about nothing, a sex scandal of an altogether more innocent age. Put to one side the marginal security issues, and all that is left is a bit of bad behaviour among the aristocracy, and to be frank, if you choose not to shoot these people, you can't really expect for anything more. It did leave one serious casualty, however: Stephen Ward, procurer of girls to the upper classes, who committed suicide after being abandoned by his friends when the going got tough. 'Scandal' tells his story, and manages to be reasonably sympathetic to Ward, Christine Keeler (the girl who slept with Profumo) and even (to some extent) the minister, although the facts don't quite seem to support the continuing strength of the bond between Ward and Keeler as depicted. The portrait of the early 1960s is well judged (without the film ever feeling overly historical), and there are interesting insights into the semi-professional sexual relationships between the smart set and the girls on the make they adopted. But the best thing about 'Scandal' is really the acting. A distinguished array of British character actors perform their turns impeccably; and Joanne Whalley, while never quite looking eighteen, is a dead ringer for Keeler and always nice to look at. But in his own way, John Hurt (who plays Ward) is also great to look at, in his case because of his straightforward excellence as an actor. In his hands, Ward is an essentially mediocre man; and yet charming, far from wicked and ultimately tragic. In some senses, the whole affair provided a template for the subsequent portrayal of the private lives of politicians by the press, to the extent that today it would hardly make the waves that it did at the time. But this film goes far beyond historical reconstruction, and is well worth watching in spite of the relative triviality of the events is portrays.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Scandal (1989)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Uncut + Uncensored missing scene? victorbarlow
The song Ivanov sings... dani_mckinley
Bridget Fonda with a British accent XenaUK
BEES IN A JAR DURING ORGY!?!??!!?? robbyyashowtime
Palace Pictures / Nik Powell niceguy_2106
One of the best films ever and a missing scene dani_mckinley
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