The Iron Lady (2011)

An elderly Margaret Thatcher talks to the imagined presence of her recently deceased husband as she struggles to come to terms with his death while scenes from her past life, from girlhood to British prime minister, intervene.

Director:

Phyllida Lloyd

Writer:

Abi Morgan (screenplay)

Stars:

Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent, Richard E. Grant

Won 2 Oscars. Another 23 wins & 46 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Meryl Streep	...	Margaret Thatcher
Jim Broadbent	...	Denis Thatcher
Susan Brown	...	June
Alice da Cunha	...	Cleaner
Phoebe Waller-Bridge	...	Susie
Iain Glen	...	Alfred Roberts
Alexandra Roach	...	Young Margaret Thatcher
Victoria Bewick	...	Muriel Roberts
Emma Dewhurst	...	Beatrice Roberts
Olivia Colman	...	Carol Thatcher
Harry Lloyd	...	Young Denis Thatcher
Sylvestra Le Touzel	...	Hostess 1949
Michael Culkin	...	Host 1949
Stephanie Jacob	...	Female Guest 1949
Robert Portal	...	Grey Suited Guest 1949

Storyline

Elderly and a virtual prisoner in her own home due to her concerned staff and daughter Carol, Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first woman prime minister, looks back on her life as she clears out her late husband Denis's clothes for the Oxfam shop. Denis is seen as being her rock as she first enters parliament and then runs for the leadership of the Conservative Party, culminating in her eventual premiereship. Now his ghost joins her to comment on her successes and failures, sometimes to her annoyance, generally to her comfort until ultimately, as the clothes are sent to the charity shop, Denis departs from Margaret's life forever.

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Plot Keywords:

politics | prime minister | british prime minister | female prime minister | told in flashback | 

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Taglines:

Never compromise

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some violent images and brief nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [France] Official site [Japan]

Country:

UK France

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 January 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

Die Eiserne Lady

Filming Locations:

Wimbledon Film and Television Studios, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$13,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$220,409 (USA) (30 December 2011)

Gross:

$29,959,436 (USA) (20 April 2012)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Pathé, Film4, UK Film Council

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

At The 84th Annual Academy Awards (2012) , this movie was nominated for two Oscars, Best Actress in a Leading Role and Best Makeup, and won both, achieving a perfect score of two wins from two nominations. This feat was previously also achieved by Ed Wood (1994) which also won two Oscars from two nominations. Both films won in the Makeup category and one award for the acting.

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Goofs

In the film, Labour leader Michael Foot opposes the decision to send a task force to the Falkland Islands, and Margaret Thatcher admonishes him in the House of Commons following Britain's victory over Argentina. Charles Moore's authorized biography of Thatcher clearly states that Foot supported her on the Falklands, and she emerged from the conflict with renewed personal admiration for him, despite their profound disagreements on most political issues.

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Quotes

Margaret Thatcher: Sink it!

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Connections

Referenced in Bad Movie Beatdown: Review of 2011 (2012)

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Soundtracks

Well Tempered Clavier: Prelude in C Major
(Johann Sebastian Bach (as JS Bach))
Performed by Daniel Barenboim
Licensed courtesy of Warner Music UK Limited

User Reviews

The Humanization Of Margaret Thatcher by Meryl Streep

Biopics are always a problem. That's why the long form, HBO style is infinitely more suitable and altogether more satisfying. Okay, now, once that aside, let me talk about Meryl Streep. A miracle! She does the impossible, not only manages to inhabit Thatcher, she also reveals her under a slightly different light. The human light. No matter how much at odds I've been with her politics, I saw that human side through Meryl Streep's eyes and realized that I had forgotten to remember, Thatcher was a human being, a woman breaking ground. She loved her husband but put her career first, as most men in her position do. Her drive is a mystery as much a mystery as Meryl Streep's art. After seeing the film, me, a life long anti-Thatcher, I have to say that it's a fair portrait of the woman. The ones who never heard of Margaret Thatcher, and there are, two of them were sitting next to me in theater, I think they thought "The Iron Lady" was the female version of "Iron Man" but even them surrendered to the character trough the glories of this other giant of our generation, Meryl Streep.