The Iron Lady (2011)
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A biographical drama explores the life of Margaret Thatcher, the UK's first female Prime Minister, through her personal struggles and political triumphs.
The story
The story begins with Thatcher in the present experiencing dementia and seeing her deceased husband Denis with her as a ghost. In a series of flashbacks, the young Margaret Roberts works at the family grocer's shop in Grantham, listening to the political speeches of her father, whom she idolises; it is also hinted that she has a poor relationship with her mother, a housewife. She wins a place at Somerville College, Oxford University. She struggles as a young lower-middle-class woman attempting to break into a snobbish male-dominated Conservative Party and find a seat in the House of Commons.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film follows Margaret Thatcher's life from her upbringing in Grantham to her tenure as Prime Minister. After attending Oxford, she meets Denis Thatcher, marrying him while vowing not to be a mere housewife. She navigates the male-dominated Conservative Party, eventually becoming Education Secretary and later Leader of the Conservative Party. The narrative covers her time as Prime Minister following the 1979 General Election, highlighting the 1981 Brixton riot, the 1984–1985 UK miners' strike, the Brighton hotel bombing, and the Falklands War victory. By 1990, she is shown as an aging figure facing internal cabinet opposition over the 'Poll Tax' and European integration. After her deputy Geoffrey Howe resigns, she eventually loses support and resigns after eleven years. The film concludes with her in the present, dealing with dementia and the final departure of Denis's ghost, ending with her alone in her kitchen.
- First release year
- 2011
- Runtime (minutes)
- 104
- Production countries
- France; United Kingdom
- Directors
- Phyllida Lloyd
- Writers
- Abi Morgan · writer
- Cast and characters
- Meryl Streep · Margaret Thatcher; Alexandra Roach · young Margaret Thatcher; Jim Broadbent · Denis Thatcher; Harry Lloyd · young Denis Thatcher; Iain Glen · Alfred Roberts, Margaret's father; Emma Dewhurst · Beatrice Roberts, Margaret's mother; Victoria Bewick · Muriel Roberts, Margaret's sister; Olivia Colman · Carol Thatcher
- Genres
- biographical drama
- Themes
- political power; gender roles; dementia; class struggle
- Tone and mood
- biographical; dramatic
- Setting
- United Kingdom, spanning from the mid-20th century to the present day.
- Premise and plot tags
- biography; political drama; historical
- Source material / true-story basis
- John Campbell's biography The Iron Lady: Margaret Thatcher, from Grocer's Daughter to Prime Minister.
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, though Meryl Streep's performance was widely acclaimed. It received a 51% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 54 out of 100 on Metacritic.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 5.7/10 · scale: 10 · review count: 230; Metacritic · score: 54 · scale: 100 · review count: 41
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Makeup · win; BAFTA Award · Best Makeup and Hair · win; Oscar · Best Actress · win; Golden Globe Award · Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama · win; BAFTA Award · Best Actress in a Leading Role · win
- Production trivia
- Meryl Streep sat through a session at the House of Commons of Parliament in January 2011 to observe British MPs in action.; The film does not portray any other female Members of Parliament.; The film was loosely based on John Campbell's biography The Iron Lady: Margaret Thatcher, from Grocer's Daughter to Prime Minister.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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