In The Iron Lady, Meryl Streep stars as Great Britain’s first female Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, in an emotionally moving and inspiring performance. From the opening scene the film is immediately gripping, with an unexpected narrative. The story glimpses into her political reign--seamlessly intertwining newsreel and rock ballads--but predominantly focuses on Thatcher's older life as she struggles with dementia. The film has many similarities to The Weinstein Company's pic from last year, The King’s Speech, in that it profiles a public figure, but chooses to spend most of the screen time on their imagined private lives, making for a film that hooks and involves audiences while educating them.
At the press junket, I talked exclusively with writer Abi Morgan, who penned both The Iron Lady and Steve McQueen’s Shame. We talk about why she chose to focus more on Thatcher’s post-political life, the universality of the film, and the themes and stories she’s attracted to as a writer. The Iron Lady opens in limited release on December 30th and it expands on January 13th. Hit the jump for the interview.
Question: I want to ask if you’re struck by how not political it is, and how personal it is. Is that something you do sort of fantasize about—a public figure and what they do in their private time?
ABI MORGAN: Yeah I think… I thought about all those moments where you see iconic political leaders, celebrities, sports stars, and you see them in the moment when they don’t realize they’re being photographed. And ...
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