Notes on a Scandal (2006)

A veteran high school teacher befriends a younger art teacher, who is having an affair with one of her fifteen-year-old students. However, her intentions with this new "friend" also go well beyond a platonic friendship.

Director:

Richard Eyre

Writers:

Patrick Marber (screenplay), Zoë Heller (novel) (as Zoe Heller)

Stars:

Cate Blanchett, Judi Dench, Andrew Simpson

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 15 wins & 70 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Judi Dench	...	Barbara Covett
Cate Blanchett	...	Sheba Hart
Tom Georgeson	...	Ted Mawson
Michael Maloney	...	Sandy Pabblem
Joanna Scanlan	...	Sue Hodge
Shaun Parkes	...	Bill Rumer
Emma Kennedy	...	Linda
Syreeta Kumar	...	Gita
Andrew Simpson	...	Steven Connolly
Phil Davis	...	Brian Bangs
Wendy Nottingham	...	Elaine Clifford
Tameka Empson	...	Antonia Robinson
Leon Skinner	...	Davis
Bill Nighy	...	Richard Hart
Juno Temple	...	Polly Hart

Storyline

Bitter, cynical, and lonely Barbara Covett (Dame Judi Dench) is a tough and conservative teacher, near to retirement, who is loathed by her colleagues and students. In the loneliness of her apartment, she spends her spare time writing in her journal, taking care of her old cat Portia, and missing her special friend Jennifer Dodd. When Sheba Hart (Cate Blanchett) joins the high school as the new art teacher, Barbara dedicates her attention to the newcomer, writing sharp and unpleasant comments about her behavior and clothes. When Barbara helps Sheba in a difficult situation with two students, the grateful Sheba invites her to have lunch with her family. Sheba introduces her husband and former professor Richard Hart (Bill Nighy), who is about twenty years older than her; her rebellious teenager daughter Polly (Juno Temple); and her son Ben (Max Lewis), who has Down's Syndrome. Barbara becomes close to Sheba, but when she accidentally discovers that Sheba is having an affair with ...

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Plot Keywords:

sex with a minor | teacher student relationship | older woman younger man relationship | sex with teacher | teacher | 

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Taglines:

Loneliness can turn one into a monster.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some aberrant sexual content

Did You Know?

Trivia

Cate Blanchett, Dame Judi Dench, and Anne-Marie Duff played Queen Elizabeth I: Blanchett in Elizabeth (1998) and Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007), Dench in Shakespeare in Love (1998), and Duff in The Virgin Queen (2005).

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Goofs

In the staff meeting where everyone is seated in a circle at the beginning of the film, Barbara can be seen waiving at Sheba to get her attention as Sheba walks in late, even though they haven't yet met.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Barbara Covett: [voiceover of Barbara writing in her diary] People trust me with their secrets. But who do I trust with mine? You, only you.

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Connections

Featured in The EE British Academy Film Awards (2015)

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Soundtracks

Fit But You Know It
Written by Mike Skinner (as M. Skinner)
Published by Universal/Pure Groove Music

User Reviews

A Tale of Obsession, Loneliness and Machiavellism

The bitter, cynical and lonely Barbara Covett (Judi Dench) is a tough and conservative teacher near to retirement that is loathed by her colleagues and students. In the loneliness of her apartment, she spends her spare time writing her journal, taking care of her old cat Portia and missing her special friend Jennifer Dodd. When Sheba Hart (Cate Blanchett) joins the high-school as the new art teacher, Barbara dedicates her attention to the newcomer, writing sharp and unpleasant comments about her behavior and clothes. When Barbara helps Sheba in a difficult situation with two students, the grateful Sheba invites her to have lunch with her family. Sheba introduces her husband and former professor Richard Hart (Bill Nighy), who is about twenty years older than she; her rebellious teenager daughter Polly (Juno Temple); and her son Ben (Max Lewis) that has Dawn Syndrome. Barbara becomes close to Sheba, but when she accidentally discovers that Sheba is having an affair with the fifteen year-old student Steven Connolly (Andrew Simpson), Barbara sees the chance to manipulate and get closer to Sheba, hiding the secret from the school headmaster. When Portia dies and Sheba does not stay with Barbara in the veterinary office to see Ben in a theater play, Barbara plots a Machiavellian revenge against Sheba, creating a scandal and consequent turmoil in their lives.

"Note on a Scandal" is a gem to be discovered by movie lovers. This tale of obsession, loneliness and Machiavellism is supported by a magnificent screenplay and awesome performances of Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett, two of the best actresses of the cinema industry in the present days. The story has drama, romance, passion, lust, obsession and eroticism disclosed in an adequate pace. The development of the lead characters is perfect, disclosing two lonely and obsessed women, one compulsive and loathed by everybody around her, and the other that is the object of desire of the old teacher, her husband and a young student. The result is one of the best movies that I have recently seen. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Notas Sobre Um Escândalo" ("Notes on a Scandal")

Details

Official Sites:

Fox Searchlight [United States]

Country:

UK

Language:

English French

Release Date:

26 January 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Notes on a Scandal

Filming Locations:

145 Holloway Road, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$414,487, 31 December 2006

Gross USA:

$17,510,118

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$49,814,392

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox Searchlight Pictures, DNA Films, UK Film Council

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

DTS (Digital DTS Sound) SDDS Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1