The Iron Lady (film)

The Iron Lady
UK Theatrical release poster
Directed byPhyllida Lloyd
Written byAbi Morgan
Produced byDamian Jones
Starring
CinematographyElliot Davis
Edited byJustine Wright
Music byThomas Newman[1]
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • 26 December 2011 (2011-12-26) (Australia)
  • 6 January 2012 (2012-01-06) (United Kingdom)
  • 19 January 2012 (2012-01-19) (America)
  • 15 February 2012 (2012-02-15) (France)
Running time
104 minutes[2]
Countries
  • France
  • United Kingdom
Budget$13 million[3]
Box office$115.9 million[4]

The Iron Lady is a 2011 biographical drama film based on the life and career of Margaret Thatcher, a British politician who was the longest-serving Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of the 20th century and the first woman to hold the office.[5] The film was directed by Phyllida Lloyd and written by Abi Morgan. Thatcher is portrayed primarily by Meryl Streep,[6] and, in her formative and early political years, by Alexandra Roach. Thatcher's husband, Denis Thatcher, is portrayed by Jim Broadbent and by Harry Lloyd as the younger Denis. Thatcher's longest-serving cabinet member and eventual deputy, Geoffrey Howe, is portrayed by Anthony Head.[7]

Despite the film's mixed reception, Streep's performance was widely acclaimed. She received her 17th Oscar nomination for her portrayal and ultimately won the award for the third time—29 years after her second Oscar win. She also earned her third Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama award (her eighth Golden Globe Award win overall) and her second BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. The film also won the Academy Award for Best Makeup and the BAFTA Award for Best Makeup and Hair.

The film was loosely based on John Campbell's biography The Iron Lady: Margaret Thatcher, from Grocer's Daughter to Prime Minister.[8]

  1. ^ "Thomas Newman to Score 'The Iron Lady'". Film Music Reporter. 23 September 2011. Retrieved 25 September 2011.
  2. ^ "The Iron Lady (12A)". British Board of Film Classification. 16 November 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2013.
  3. ^ "The Iron Lady (2012) - Financial Information". The Numbers.
  4. ^ "The Iron Lady (2011)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  5. ^ Hoyle, Ben (21 March 2007). "Iron Lady Set to Follow the Queen on Screen". The Times. Archived from the original on 25 March 2007. Retrieved 25 January 2011.
  6. ^ Peck, Tom (2 July 2010). "Meryl Streep Takes on Her Toughest Role: The Iron Lady". The Independent. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2011.
  7. ^ "The Iron Lady (2011)". IMDb. 19 October 2010. Retrieved 25 January 2011.
  8. ^ "How Accurate Is 'The Iron Lady'?". NPR.org. NPR. Retrieved 9 September 2017.