The Iron Lady

[August1991]

Man this movie sucked. I just saw it earlier today. You could substitute any random crazy old lady in (and of course substitute in her memories, not Thatcher's) and the movie would be by-in-large the same. It was not about Thatcher at all, rather some woman who happens to be Thatcher.

NewTeddy, thanks for "unhijacking" the thread.

The Iron Lady movie?

Well, admittedly it's Margaret Thatcher meets Kurt Vonnegut Jnr.

If that confuses you, Slaughterhouse Five is available on Netflix.

[TheNewTeddy]

The movie was not confusing at all. Thatcher was many things

A grocer's daughter

An MP

A Minister

Prime Minister

And "Elder Statesman" backbench MP

A peer in the Lords

and last, a "crazy old woman".

I'm least interested in hearing about the latter. How many other "crazy old women" are there out there? Millions. How many peers are there in the Lords? Currently about 700. How many Prime Ministers of the UK are there? what 50?

The movie had an improper focus. I saw another movie, "the end of maggie thatcher" which was far better, though the acting was poor. Streep should have been in that movie.

edit

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1230150/

this movie.

Edited February 21, 2012 by TheNewTeddy

[sharkman]

Was Streep's acting good though? I may rent this movie just to see that. The other crap I'm getting good at tuning out. HOllywood can't resist putting their spin on things.

[August1991]

Was Streep's acting good though? I may rent this movie just to see that.

It was very good. But Broadbent's play was arguably better.

Then again frankly, who cares about Streep/Broadbent. They both "get it".

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The only question now is who will produce the Nancy/Ronald story, who will write the script and who will play the leads.

At 20 mllion budget, it will gross 20 million on the first weekend. Then, as Americans say, it's "gravy".

Edited March 6, 2012 by August1991

[TheNewTeddy]

Streep was excellent. It was the script that was god awful.

[August1991]

Streep was excellent. It was the script that was god awful.

I disagree. The script showed the key points in her life, as a human being.

[fellowtraveller]

I disagree. The script showed the key points in her life, as a human being.

wrong. The script was horrible and misleading.

[August1991]

wrong. The script was horrible and misleading.

I disagree.

IMV, rightly, the movie was not hagiography. In the grand scheme of things, Margaret Thatcher was simply human. Yet, her words and actions as a politician still stand.

The movie shows this.

Edited March 20, 2012 by August1991

[fellowtraveller]

I disagree.

IMV, rightly, the movie was not hagiography. In the grand scheme of things, Margaret Thatcher was simply human. Yet, her words and actions as a politician still stand.

The movie shows this.

You must have fallen asleep early. The movie showed pretty much only what the producers see as her failures: IRA, economy, union busting, demonstrations on the street, dissent in the party, character failings and her failure as a parent.

A biopic need not be a hagiographic, but it should at least have some form of balance, some faint sense of evenhandedness. Her global influence and turnaround of a horrific UK economy were barely mentioned and that was no accident given the people involved in the production.

If her words and actions stand, it will be in spite of this hatchet job, not because of it.

[WLDB]

I disagree. The script showed the key points in her life, as a human being.

She talked to her dead husband regularly?

I only got about a half hour into the movie. I found it to be a poor script. Even if it did cover the major events in her life it doesnt change the fact that it was still poorly written. Unortunate, someone as important as Thatcher was should have gotten a much better script regardless of if one liked her or not.

[August1991]

She talked to her dead husband regularly?

Her husband is now dead (he died in 2003) and they were married for about 60 years. I would be surprised if she doesn't still talk to him in her own mind. I'm sure she had imaginary conversations with him while he was still alive too. People in good (and bad) marriages often do that. (What is a good marriage? The internal conversation is ultimately cheerful.)

I only got about a half hour into the movie. I found it to be a poor script. Even if it did cover the major events in her life it doesnt change the fact that it was still poorly written. Unortunate, someone as important as Thatcher was should have gotten a much better script regardless of if one liked her or not.

I thought that the movie showed Margaret Thatcher as a human being - and after all, that's what she was.

You must have fallen asleep early. The movie showed pretty much only what the producers see as her failures: IRA, economy, union busting, demonstrations on the street, dissent in the party, character failings and her failure as a parent.

FT, you make a good point. But I didn't see the movie as a hatchet-job. I saw this as Thatcher overcoming the serious problems and threats in the UK at the time.

I'll rent the DVD and post a second opinion.

Edited March 23, 2012 by August1991

[WLDB]

I thought that the movie showed Margaret Thatcher as a human being - and after all, that's what she was.

Is she no longer a human being?

From what i've read most people who know/knew her at that time have said the film doesnt show an accuracte picture of her.

[Guest Derek L]

Brian Mulroney clearly proved he was against racism by bringing forward sanctions against the racist South African government,Thatcher opposed him while praising the racist government of South Africa!

As far as I am concerned this was and always will be Mulroneys greatest achievment!Something that all Canadians can be proud of!

And yes many of Canadas PMs did do/support racist/sexest policy for many years aswell as many other leaders/countries around the world.The question is when did it end or when were the strong attempts made to end racism/sexism?

WWWTT

Care to elaborate on PM Thatcher’s support of Apartheid?

[Guest Derek L]

Usually people who have never bein a victim(or ever will be) of sexism and racism do not understand how bad these two things are.

It would be interesting to here what a native of South Africa thinks of Thatcher!

WWWTT

My father in law preferred her moderate approach………My wife didn’t follow international politics in the 80s, but sure loved Queen……

[Guest Derek L]

As for the movie itself, just watched it last night with the wife, we both thoroughly enjoyed it and it did nothing to change my opinion in a negative way of Lady Thatcher……We had the King’s Speech before, my question, what will be next?

[Moonlight Graham]

It's a Weinstein Hollywood production and this movie will make you walk away with a good feeling of life. In addition, it is also for young girls in Third World countries: in Iraq, Egypt, Indonesia. Women around the world should watch this movie.

Young girls, and most people, in third world countries should be very resentful of Ms. Thatcher for spearheading, along with Reagan, the neoliberal western development policies that dominated the 1980's and reversed development in so many developing countries for the next 10-15+ years after she and Reagan took office. She and her polices were an enemy (though maybe an inadvertent one) of the "third world".

[Moonlight Graham]

Just downloaded this film and gave it a quick preview. Streep does an even better job than I thought she would. Even has the voice down, and the make-up job is very good too.

[Guest Derek L]

Just downloaded this film and gave it a quick preview. Streep does an even better job than I thought she would. Even has the voice down, and the make-up job is very good too.

It's worth watching for sure.

[Moonlight Graham]

I also downloaded 'Nixon' with Anthony Hopkins, looks okay, as well as 'J. Edgar' which is just weird with Leo DiCaprio playing him.

[August1991]

Young girls, and most people, in third world countries should be very resentful of Ms. Thatcher for spearheading, along with Reagan, the neoliberal western development policies that dominated the 1980's and reversed development in so many...

Yadda, yadda, yadda.

Hundreds of millions of people, young girls included, in China and India now live better lives because of the "neoliberal" policies of Thatcher and Reagan.

Thatcher was right on tactics, and right on strategy. Critically, she understood the correct long run philosophy.

Thatcher, I paraphrase, knew that the collectivist "Save the Whale" Leftists who sell fair trade coffee for Haitian orphanages are well-intentioned, but wrong.

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More pointedly, this movie shows Thatcher as a woman, as a human being.

Edited April 17, 2012 by August1991

[August1991]

I also downloaded 'Nixon' with Anthony Hopkins, looks okay, as well as 'J. Edgar' which is just weird with Leo DiCaprio playing him.

I didn't really like Stone's Nixon but I understood the idea. I haven't seen Eastwood's J. Edgar.

[Guest Derek L]

I didn't really like Stone's Nixon but I understood the idea. I haven't seen Eastwood's J. Edgar.

I didn't mind Nixon.......We watched J.Edgar and enjoyed it I tend to enjoy all of Eastwood’s movie, but after seeing Invictus, my wife question’s some of Clint’s telling of history.

[bleeding heart]

Eastwood is a mixed bag. I like Mystic River well enough. Million Dollar Baby is tepid garbage. Overall, I think he's overrated.

As for the OP...I didn't care much for The Iron Lady. A genuine mis-step, and without Streep, it would have been nothing at all.

[Moonlight Graham]

Yadda, yadda, yadda.

Hundreds of millions of people, young girls included, in China and India now live better lives because of the "neoliberal" policies of Thatcher and Reagan.

Thatcher was right on tactics, and right on strategy. Critically, she understood the correct long run philosophy.

Western-led neoliberalism had extremely little to do with China's economic rise. China wasn't coerced into damaging structural adjustment programs by western states/institutions countries such as those in Africa were. China's economic transformation and turn to international capitalist markets began in 1978, when Deng Xiaoping took power. They used "state capitalism" (aka state-directed), not the type of liberalization Reagan/Thatcher preached.

China used a kind of developmental state model, with strong central control of economic development decisions. Like other successful developing states in east Asia, ie: Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan etc., they avoided and distrusted neoliberalism and used a developmental state model of strong government-directed growth mixed with capitalism.

I'm less familiar with India. I don't really have to make much of an argument about neoliberalism, it's well-established in the academic literature how devastating it was to developing economies, and and how much it slowed their economic growth.

[August1991]

Western-led neoliberalism had extremely little to do with China's economic rise. China wasn't coerced into damaging structural adjustment programs by western states/institutions countries such as those in Africa were. China's economic transformation and turn to international capitalist markets began in 1978, when Deng Xiaoping took power. They used "state capitalism" (aka state-directed), not the type of liberalization Reagan/Thatcher preached.

China used a kind of developmental state model, with strong central control of economic development decisions. Like other successful developing states in east Asia, ie: Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan etc., they avoided and distrusted neoliberalism and used a developmental state model of strong government-directed growth mixed with capitalism.

Your re-phrasing is amazing, and worthy of a community college humanities professor.

Call it state-capitalism, or give Deng Xiaoping credit, but Adam Smith was right. Neo-liberalism, free markets with prices, lead to co-operation and general prosperity. Maoist/Stalinist/Hitlerite State ownership/directorship leads to poverty.

Deng Xiaoping asked the right question: who cares what colour is the cat as long as it catches mice.

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I'm intrigued to watch this movie again, in Blu-ray at home. With a woman or two for a second opinion.