Althouse: Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher.

February 8, 2011

Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher.

"I am trying to approach the role with as much zeal, fervour and attention to detail as the real Lady Thatcher possesses - I can only hope my stamina will begin to approach her own.”

Beautiful!

67 comments:

Charlie Martin said...: Good Lord. That's quite amazing.; 2/8/11, 8:53 AM
Henry said...: Will Stanley Tucci play Denis Thatcher? Please!; 2/8/11, 8:53 AM
Original Mike said...: Wow. I wonder if she can do the voice.; 2/8/11, 8:55 AM
chickelit said...: Of course the DK's had something rude and wry to say about Thatcher: link; 2/8/11, 8:55 AM
Fen said...: Meh. My expectation is that this will be a hit-piece.; 2/8/11, 8:55 AM
The Dude said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 2/8/11, 8:56 AM
Joe said...: (The Crypto Jew)

I’m pretty certain it won’t happen, but I’d enjoy it if Streep were to be confronted, in her “prep” and filming, with the absolute vitriol Thatcher faced from Labour…might be enlightening for one of Hollywood’s elite to see, from the other side, just how tolerate and enlightened her side was of a successful and powerful womon.

BTW, I don't think Thatcher ever looked that "good"...Was she a powerful womon, yes, was she a successful politician, yes...was she pivotal to the Global Conservative Movment, yes...was she a Beauty Queen...not hardly.; 2/8/11, 8:59 AM
Anonymous said...: It's hard to accept this actress in this part.

After all, Streep is the queen of the awful touchy-feelie women's movies. She's been in what seems like dozens of these weepers in which she plays the incredibly liberal adventurous woman exuding sensitivity.

And the picture isn't convincing. Thatcher was tough looking. Streep isn't. She's soft.

I wouldn't guess that Streep is particularly in line with Thatcher's politics either.

I deliberately avoid watching movies with Streep in the cast because I figure I'm in for a feminist lecture about gritty artistic women sweating sensitivity and breaking boundaries.

You know, that "Out of Africa" crap.

Maybe Streep will succeed. That's why they call it acting.; 2/8/11, 9:03 AM
Scott M said...: WOOT! Great news. If anyone could do Thatcher justice, it's Streep. I wonder what the klatch of British actresses think of this casting choice.; 2/8/11, 9:04 AM
MadisonMan said...: That's a very good transformation.

Thatcher always brings to mind Tears for Fears for me: Politician granny with your high ideals have you no idea how the majority feels?.; 2/8/11, 9:05 AM
SteveR said...: Will James Brolin play Reagan?; 2/8/11, 9:05 AM
Anonymous said...: "Besmirching of a giant" according to the Mail Online. Big Hollywood's Sucker Punch Squad looks at the script and calls it a hit job.; 2/8/11, 9:19 AM
Henry said...: @shouting thomas -- I think you're wrong. Streep consistently has the chops to inhabit a part. She can only deal with the script she's given, but she's one of the few actors I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt.

Out of Africa is a fine movie ruined by Robert Redford. Streep played a character, Karen Blixen. Redford played himself, stuck in as an American doppelganger for Denys Finch Hatton.; 2/8/11, 9:20 AM
lemondog said...: Needs more bags and sags....more character; 2/8/11, 9:25 AM
Scott M said...: but she's one of the few actors I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt.

HOWARD JOHNSON IS RIGHT!!!; 2/8/11, 9:27 AM
William said...: Streep will give a sympathetic porrayal of Thatcher's lifelong struggle to overcome her greed, racism, and authoritarian impulses. While it's, of course, true, that Thatcher was ultimately a failure, there can be no doubt that Streep will bring alive Thatcher's good posture and excellent diction.; 2/8/11, 9:28 AM
Anonymous said...: @Henry.

Well, I hope I'm wrong. Thatcher is actually a character I'd like to know more about.

Given Hollywood's politics, I am skeptical.

Are there any actresses that actually share Thatcher's political outlook?

Probably not. Why not?; 2/8/11, 9:28 AM
Original Mike said...: @Joe: She looked pretty good when she was young, but yeah, not quite that good.

OTH, Streep done up as Thatcher looks better than Streep herself.; 2/8/11, 9:29 AM
Original Mike said...: @William: LOL; 2/8/11, 9:30 AM
Henry said...: @shoutingthomas -- I'll probably hate the movie, if I bother to go see it. But Streep is the one reason I might go see it.

@Scott M -- Who's Howard Johnson?; 2/8/11, 9:31 AM
Henry said...: @MadisonMan -- Then there's Elvis Costello's Tramp the Dirt Down.; 2/8/11, 9:33 AM
Scott M said...: Who's Howard Johnson?

He owns the hotel in Rock Ridge.; 2/8/11, 9:34 AM
Skyler said...: Streep? Play Thatcher?

That's like asking the Pope to teach about the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints.

I didn't make Meryl Streep political. She did. She insisted on it. Now people want to pretend she isn't political? Come on!

When you intentionally insult roughly half of your potential audience, you should not be trusted to suddenly be a spokesman for that insulted half by appealing to "professionalism."; 2/8/11, 9:36 AM
Henry said...: On the other hand, Skyler, I don't think Clint Eastwood has the legs.; 2/8/11, 9:39 AM
traditionalguy said...: This will be a big plus for Caribou Barbie. Thatcher was a clear heavy weight leader, AND SHE IS A WOMAN too.; 2/8/11, 9:39 AM
Joe said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 2/8/11, 9:46 AM
Dark Eden said...: She is good at duplicating the look and I'm sure the sound, but the heart and soul I'm sure will be replaced by the typical one dimensional Captain Planet level villainy liberals perceive of everyone who escapes the plantation.; 2/8/11, 9:49 AM
Anonymous said...: Nice words from Meryl. However, the family is quite worried about it.

Regrets and dementia

I guess pity is about all that conservatives get in a biopic.; 2/8/11, 10:01 AM
lonetown said...: Streep is such a lib hack its hard to believe she can do the great lady justice. But she does look good for the role.; 2/8/11, 10:07 AM
Anonymous said...: Yes, Hollywood will turn this into a hatchet job against Thatcher. It will be one gaint political smear from beginning to end, but they will try to subtle enough about it that the usual yelping jackals in the MSM will write reviews about "balanced" it is, and what a great performance by Streep that explores all aspects of Thatchers personality, etc etc etc.

Anyway, the only thing Streep has done in the past 20 years that was worth watching what her turn as the hard-charging demanding boss in "Devil Wears Prada". She stole that movie, and even though she was supposed to be the villain, (the Devil), she was actually sympathetic. Plus that movie provides a course on "Pick-Up-Artist 101" as the smooth fashion guy (the Mentalist actor) seduces the gullible Anne Hathaway. He uses every known method to play on her female tendencies and succeeds in getting in her pants, and then of course he dumps her. The phony part was at the end, where she goes back to her "nice-guy" boyfriend after having tasted life on "Devil" side.; 2/8/11, 10:09 AM
Big Mike said...: I had two questions. The first was whether this film would be an objective portrayal of a strong woman who dragged her country back from the abyss and into an era of comparative prosperity, or a liberal hatchet job. Thanks to the link the link provided by jurassicfan, I now know that that it will be a liberal hatchet job.

My second question was whether, if it really was an objective portrayal of a very strong female politician, Roger Ebert would review it honestly, or let his politics intrude. But apparently that's going to be a moot question.

And having read Roger off and on since he was writing for the Daily Illini, I think I know the answer to my second question anyway.; 2/8/11, 10:20 AM
Unknown said...: Maggie Thatcher was quite a good-looking woman in her youth and Ms Streep seems to capture that.

As for portrayal, a lot of that has to do with the script and director. Being the pro she seems to be, I have a feeling you'll have more to dislike about the script than her performance.; 2/8/11, 10:34 AM
The Dude said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 2/8/11, 10:45 AM
knox said...: I love her in "Marvin's Room." (Even though she exudes insensitivity in it.); 2/8/11, 10:55 AM
Anonymous said...: Streep's famous for doing accents, but this will be the first time she's been called upon to maintain one while strangling an entire boxful of kittens.; 2/8/11, 10:58 AM
Paul Kirchner said...: Having seen Streep as Miranda Priestly in "The Devil Wears Prada," I think she could pull off the Thatcher role as well as anyone.

I'm just grateful they didn't give it to the annoying Judi Dench.; 2/8/11, 11:01 AM
Joe said...: (The Crypto Jew)

Streep's famous for doing accents, but this will be the first time she's been called upon to maintain one while strangling an entire boxful of kittens.
Kittens stolen from starving orphans living on the streets because there were no social programs available to provide a social safety net…..; 2/8/11, 11:02 AM
traditionalguy said...: Streep is a great actress. This is all good news that Thatcher will have a great star and a movie since so few under 30 remember Thatcher at all. Why the race to the bottom predicting a liberal hit piece? IMO Streep will bring out the strength of Thatche's leadership style. The narative from liberals these days is that Reagan, and therefore Thatcher, were intelligent and educated RINOs who would never accept a Palin from the backwoods.; 2/8/11, 11:03 AM
Palladian said...: It's Streep doing her mediocre Julia Child impersonation, this time with a British accent.

She's becoming Rich Little, and is nearly as entertaining.; 2/8/11, 11:12 AM
Larry J said...: Why the race to the bottom predicting a liberal hit piece?

Bitter experience. Care to list the movies made in the last 30 years that portray conservatives or conservatism accurately?

[crickets chirping]; 2/8/11, 11:16 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Palladian beat me to it.; 2/8/11, 11:21 AM
Scott M said...: Care to list the movies made in the last 30 years that portray conservatives or conservatism accurately?

Quest For Fire; 2/8/11, 11:22 AM
Big Mike said...: Why the race to the bottom predicting a liberal hit piece?

If you go to jurassicfan's post at 9:19 and follow his links, you'll see that it isn't much of a prediction. Pam Meister says she's actually read the script.; 2/8/11, 11:24 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Quest For Fire..

Is that the one where Daryl Hannah has a sex scene?; 2/8/11, 11:30 AM
Econophile said...: I hope there's a scene where Streep holds up Hayek's Constitution of Liberty, shouting "This is what we believe!"; 2/8/11, 11:31 AM
Scott M said...: Yeah, she teaches them there's more to zug-zug than just wolf-style.; 2/8/11, 11:33 AM
William said...: On the other hand, there's no great demand for a biopic about Harold Wilson or John Major. The movie will not be sympathetic, but just by being made it pays homage to her historical significance......As I understand it, Richard III was a standard issue medieval king and not the monster Shakespeare made him out to be. But if Shakespeare had not defamed him, he would have been long forgotten. This movie will keep Thatcher alive, and perhaps her points of light will shine through the talking points that the producers fabricate against her.; 2/8/11, 11:33 AM
Joe said...: (The Crypto Jew)

There will probably be a scene where she contacts Arthur Scargill and gloats about the Capitalist Exploitation of the Coal Miner and how she revels in it! And at least one scene where she denigrates the little brown monkeys in Argentina….possibly she can drink the blood of some poor womon, too.; 2/8/11, 11:36 AM
ricpic said...: If Streep can pull it off more power to her. However, I'm certain there will be a scene in which Thatcher experiences a crisis of conscience when her heart tells her that what her head is doing is e-e-e-vil. That Thatcher, in tandem with Reagan, saved the West, or at least put off its demise, counts for nothing because she was "mean."; 2/8/11, 12:14 PM
Big Mike said...: @Lem, that was Rae Dawn Chong.; 2/8/11, 12:47 PM
Amartel said...: Hit piece. Oscar bait. Avoid.
http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/pmeister/2010/11/04/sucker-punch-squad-meryl-streeps-margaret-thatcher-bio-smells-like-a-hit-job/; 2/8/11, 1:22 PM
Automatic_Wing said...: Rae Dawn Chong >>> Darryl Hannah.; 2/8/11, 1:39 PM
David said...: Original Mike said...
"Wow. I wonder if she can do the voice."

She did Julia Child quite well, so I have high hopes.

I'd like to see a scene where Lady Thatcher fakes an orgasm in a New York Deli.; 2/8/11, 1:46 PM
Old N' Cranky said...: ...could we all wait to see the damn movie please?...pre-judging is for liberal hacks...

p.s. she needs more hairspray; 2/8/11, 2:48 PM
Palladian said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 2/8/11, 4:38 PM
Palladian said...: "She did Julia Child quite well..."

No, actually, she didn't. I made a comparison video last year juxtaposing Streep imitating an episode of "The French Chef" and the actual source material starring Julia Child. Streep doesn't get the voice but worst of all, she doesn't get Julia's bearing: pay attention to the moment when the potato cake lands on the stovetop. Streep plays it like a gaffe, complete with a frustrated little fist-shake; Child smiles slightly when it happens, keeps her confidence and instantly turns the flop into a "teachable moment". If you can't manage to get the subtle nuances of your character when you're doing a verbatim remake of an actual television program starring the person you're imitating, how exactly do you qualify as a great actress?; 2/8/11, 4:49 PM
traditionalguy said...: Give these actors a break. Impersonating a well known media personality is at best doing a different version of them. Maybe Streep will do a better Thatcher than Thatcher did. I always thought Joaquin Phoenix did a better Johnny Cash than Johnny Cash did.; 2/8/11, 5:03 PM
LordSomber said...: Yuck. She looks like Mommie Dearest.; 2/8/11, 5:34 PM
Beldar said...: I have a hard time imagining a worse casting choice, or one that would be more insulting to Lady Thatcher.; 2/8/11, 6:20 PM
Henry said...: @Palladian -- You assume that the director didn't want it played that way. Meryl Streep played Julia Child as a comic character in a movie that was largely a comedy. That's hardly surprising.; 2/8/11, 7:01 PM
Nora said...: I can't imagine shallow and self-absorbed Holywood makin evena marginally good picture about a person of Thatcher calibre. They should stick to impersonating other entertainers, or marginal historic personas of popculture level, like Che and Evita.; 2/8/11, 8:15 PM
Nora said...: O yeh, and Meryl Strip looks rather like aged Barby on Botox than Thatcher; 2/8/11, 8:18 PM
BAS said...: Where's the overbite?
I prefer the real Thatcher.; 2/8/11, 9:20 PM
Palladian said...: "Meryl Streep played Julia Child as a comic character in a movie that was largely a comedy. That's hardly surprising."

Julia Child deserves better than to be played as a comic character, and certainly deserves a better representation than being a side character in that distended vanity-blog-post of a movie. Besides, Dan Akroyd already did a far funnier comic rendition of Child back in the 70s. If Streep was playing Julia for laughs she fell short. Julia Child herself was a lot funnier than Streep played her.

Besides, I don't understand the appeal of watching actors ham it up playing costume characterizations of the still-living, like Margaret Thatcher, or recently dead, like Julia Child, who are already well-represented "playing" themselves on film and television. Perhaps it's my bias against fiction, but I'd rather read a good biography or autobiography and watch clips of Thatcher's speeches or Child's brilliant television work.; 2/8/11, 9:36 PM
Known Unknown said...: The Ironic Lady.

WV:prampub — they start 'em on pints young in Britain!; 2/8/11, 9:48 PM
Ankur said...: As much as I love meryl, I do think Helen Mirren might have done a better job in this role. Or Cate Blanchett with good makeup.

Meryl Street seems too classically beautiful for this role.; 2/8/11, 10:56 PM
NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...: How bad a hatchet job will it be? I really have a hard time believing anything nice will be said about Thatcher, and even then her policies will be either glossed over or scorned. Since this is a movie about a politician, that's kind of important. She wasn't important because of who she was but what she did.

I liked Claire Berlinski's book about Thatcher.; 2/8/11, 10:57 PM