Talking Points
It’s already clear how Meryl Streep‘s Oscar-bait performance as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady (20th Century Fox, late December) is going to be sold. One, as a tribute to a woman “who came from nowhere to smash through barriers of gender and class to be heard in a male-dominated world.” And two, as a respectful salute to a tough, steely conservative who doesn’t seem so bad compared to the Palin-Bachmann tea-bagger wackos.
Jim Broadbent (l.)as Denis Thatcher and Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher in Phyllida Lloyd’s The Iron Lady.
Only because that strain can’t exist anywhere near the mainstream in Britain. Thatcher is still a perfect example of the worst nightmare scenario of a woman in power. Defensively petty, insecurely over-martial, complete reverence for old school toughness( Pinochet). Truly a gross creature of the first order, and it really has only marginally to do with her politics.
Still, it’s Streep Doin’ Work. Whatever.
They’re clearly aiming for a female answer to King’s Speech with this one, but I have a feeling it won’t do well, because most Americans don’t know or remember who Thatcher is and/or was; nor would they know or remember anything related to the Falklands. Plus, Thatcher was pretty much up-staged in the spotlight by Chuck and Di the rest of her political career.
OMG, she really looks like the real Thatcher. They may as well give Streep another Nomination right now.
Thatcher was a genuine cunt. Palin and Bachmann are too, but at least they haven’t ruined an entire country yet, which is what Thatcher has done.
That’s some deep, deep political insight there, Eloi. So many layers of subtle yet varied observation. And it works on each level, too.
She really was a wanker. Go to any town in Wales and ask their thoughts on Thatcher. Or anywhere up North, or anywhere in Scotland. The only people who still like her are David Cameron and his cronies. The country is undoubtedly a worse place due to her.
My bet is, the screenplay doesn’t reach Eloi’s level of levelheaded insight.
Can any of you weirdly supportive Americans provide any reasons why you actually like her, other than the fact she was chums with Ronnie Reagan? She genuinely destroyed entire communities. She was a terrible Prime Minister, a terrible person, and if this movie tries to present her otherwise it’ll absolutely bomb over in Europe.
@DZ
People know Thatcher better than King George VI. I mean, I just had to Google The King’s Speech just to double check that it was, in fact, George VI. He had a 16 year reign (relatively small compared to many monarchs and dictators today), and died almost 60 years ago.
Thatcher, on the other hand, took over in 79 and sat down in 90. That’s recent enough for most people to remember, and her historical importance as one of the first female leaders of a nation has kept her name around.
The Thing: Yes, but they didn’t *have* to know George. The movie trailers focused on him having to take a stand against Nazis, and that was enough for them to familiarize themselves with the era, if not the person. Thatcher was only talked about here in regards to the Falklands and then the tabloids of the Royal Family became the only source of information Americans actually had about the UK. Christ, they didn’t even remember the damage the father of the last Bush did as President. So I doubt they care about some Brit lady not played by Helen Mirren or Judy Dench who didn’t affect them personally.
>became the only source of information Americans >actually had about the UK.
That’s also why people here naively believe the V for Vendetta movie’s good.
DZ: You’re all wrong. Remember who this movie is aimed at. Thatcher is an instantly recognizable name among the demographic group they’re gonna pitch this movie at. And Streep is as big a female star as there is today. It’ll undoubtedly be an Oscar contender, and most likely have a solid box office behind it.
It’s going to be fun to see this ripped apart by the British press. And no, I’m not including the Murdoch papers or Daily Fail in “British Press.”
On the other hand, the nuts can double-feature this and Atlas Shrugged.
Eloi: Roberts couldn’t sell Charlie Wilson, though, and she has been in the same box office league as Streep. And the demographic group which would see a Streep flick didn’t even bother catching Dunst in Marie Antoinette.
Streep = old-ish, and attracts a bit of an older audience. Tends to do quality products, among other things, that the older demographic likes.
Dunst = young-ish, and does Spiderman movies, among other things, that the younger demographic likes.
So, why, why, WHY do you equate Dunst and Streep? They are at least 30 years apart in age and obviously appeal to different demographics.
And then you drag Roberts into it. What is your connection? Three actresses I have heard of.. three actresses that get lots of work… the first three actresses off the top of my head?
You have no idea what you are talking about. Just because Charlie Wilson’s War didn’t strike gold, and I think a large part of that is because the ads made it look cheesy and frivolous, does not mean that this movie will not work.
Your false-equalities will never end.
My bet is, the screenplay doesn’t reach Eloi’s level of levelheaded insight.
That is a MOST pleasing shade of blue.
Isn’t it British tradition to hate their prime ministers once they leave?
Could even 5% of Americans name a British PM besides Churchill and Thatcher? (Maybe 5% could get Tony Blair.) Could 5% tell you who the British PM is now?
Well, they hated Thatcher before she was even PM (“Thatcher Milk-Snatcher” and all that), but yeah, is there a nastier portrait of a living figure than Tony Blair in The Ghost Writer? They really do seem to turn on them in a way we don’t (compare to Stone’s W).
As far the hate here, if you’d seen London in the 70s, the beaten, shabby, depressed place it was, and then in the 80s, at the height of Thatcher-era prosperity glitz, you’d have no nostalgia for the labor-crippled, willfully mediocre and lost society she revitalized. But I know such thoughts are beyond those for whom the welfare state is both free money and the best of all possible character-building environments.
England was a better place before Thatcher? Holy cow.
Well, they hated Thatcher before she was even PM (“Thatcher Milk-Snatcher” and all that), but yeah, is there a nastier portrait of a living figure than Tony Blair in The Ghost Writer? They really do seem to turn on them in a way we don’t (compare to Stone’s W).
As far the hate here, if you’d seen London in the 70s, the beaten, shabby, depressed place it was, and then in the 80s, at the height of Thatcher-era prosperity glitz, you’d have no nostalgia for the labor-crippled, willfully mediocre and lost society she revitalized. But I know such thoughts are beyond those for whom the welfare state is both free money and the best of all possible character-building environments.
Having lived in London for five years, which stirred the English blood from my mother’s side, I can only imagine the vitriol, anger, disgust, hand-wringing, kvetchig, bitching, moaning and most of all, whingeing this will stir up.
Haven’t done my research on how Lady Tata had to do with plague of Reaganomics which inexorably led to the 2008 crash of all bullshit-fueled balloons, but this isn’t about economics, just plain disdain from a large portion of the UK media and culture set.
Wiggum: “Just because Charlie Wilson’s War didn’t strike gold, and I think a large part of that is because the ads made it look cheesy and frivolous, does not mean that this movie will not work.”
Working and selling are two different things.
“England was a better place before Thatcher? Holy cow.”
Yeah I know, hard to believe before Maggie the Twat opened up butt-sucker paradise, but human beings were actually given some consideration. The economic expansion following a cyclic recession survived Thatcherism by North Sea Oil revenues. Shit happens.
In the US, the reputation of the Dipper had to be salvaged by cash infusions to the Americans for Tax Reform Scumbags, otherwise, Ray-gun would still be in 2nd place comp’d to Carter.
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