Althouse: Streep as Thatcher.

November 16, 2011

Streep as Thatcher.

The new trailer:

24 comments:

Scott M said...: The Thatcher supports amongst the movie industry fanboy ilk have been bitching about this one for a while now. Trailers are notorious for not giving a good measure of a movie's political bent, but from a few of the fanboy websites, those with access to early screenings are, predictably, split down the middle whether this is a hit pieces or an accurate portrayal. Given Streep's political leanings, I'd say the truth probably lies somewhere on the commercially-viable side of hit piece, but I'll reserve judgement until I rent it or watch it on Netflix.; 11/16/11, 8:18 AM
traditionalguy said...: Streep is one of my favorite actresses.

She plays the German personality's reticence with strength to perfection.That alone should make her popular in Wisconsin.

Thatcher was another example of a chosen scapegoat thrown in to take the fall when all seemed to be lost, but who then showed the intelligence and true grit to make it a success instead of a failure

Other examples: Truman, Palin, Halsey.; 11/16/11, 8:29 AM
KCFleming said...: Hollywood's perpetual adolescents have always despised adults like Thatcher.

They much prefer #OWS tantrums and polemics against people who won't promise free ponies and free love.

In honor of their politics, I will find a way to see this for free, maybe in a year or so. I doubt Streep will be honest about Thatcher. I suspect she'll drift into ridiculous Julia Childishness. Like most movies about adults, only honored in the breach.

My new motto is Not One Dime. No support for the left, in any manner. Yes, it will restrict my choices, but that is not much of a hairshirt.

Walter Russell Mead:
"Boomer Hollywood execs created an amoral morass of sludge — and maybe I’m missing something, but nobody spends a lot of time talking about the towering cultural accomplishments of the world historical art geniuses of the Boomer years."

I do have some concern, though. I am finishing a read of Moby Dick and found it dull. Not as bad as watching Jersey Shore, but dull.; 11/16/11, 8:33 AM
AllenS said...: That's nothing. This morning when I opened up my Frontiernet home page, I learned that Pamela Anderson will play the Virgin Mary in some sort of movie production.; 11/16/11, 9:13 AM
Petunia said...: Pogo, I'm impressed you're close to finishing Moby Dick. I have tried about ten times to get through it but I just can't do it. And I'll read just about anything and will someday be killed by a stack of books tipping over on me.

Same with The Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Unreadable.; 11/16/11, 9:47 AM
Holmes said...: I remember the austin powers bit, "Margaret Thatcher naked on a cold day! Margaret Thatcher naked on a cold day!" You see, when conservatives are smart (they are scary), and if they are women, and not attractive, they are ugly bitches. If they are attractive conservative women, they are clearly dumb. The basic rule is: conservative women are unacceptable as traitors to the cause. Men make fun of them more to impress their liberal women friends. It's really the liberal women who despise them so.; 11/16/11, 9:58 AM
KCFleming said...: @Petunia

Yes; I don't get the love for Moby Dick. It seems like the first Tom Clancy novel.; 11/16/11, 10:07 AM
edutcher said...: Given what movies have been doing over the last 40 years, the buzz I've heard so far, and how they've treated Lady T, I do think I'll let this one pass.; 11/16/11, 10:12 AM
Darrell said...: I'm sure it's as spot-on as Oliver Stone's Nixon, but I can't be sure until I read Media Matters take on it, or check Ebert's thumb.; 11/16/11, 10:26 AM
Skyler said...: I find it hard to believe that Streep would be involved in any project that would make Thatcher look good.; 11/16/11, 10:26 AM
Anonymous said...: Horace Slughorn! This must be Harry Potter 8: Volderstreep returns!; 11/16/11, 10:36 AM
William said...: So far as fascism is concerned, those Argentine generals were the real deal. Super bad, extremely no good bunch of killers and thugs. It will take real talent and creativity to show her in a bad light in that confrontation.; 11/16/11, 10:41 AM
virgil xenophon said...: Anyone who holds out hope that this time just this once Hollywood is going to treat a major conservative of any stripe--be they politician, soldier or artist--honestly and fairly is playing Charlie Brown to Lucy and the football..; 11/16/11, 10:47 AM
Big Mike said...: Ah, but can Streep do the Dead Parrot sketch?; 11/16/11, 10:59 AM
Methadras said...: There is no doubt she is the great actress of our time, however I believe she will be at least nominated for an Oscar for the prosthetic teeth.; 11/16/11, 11:11 AM
ampersand said...: When the hell are we going to see the Clinton movie? Pure comedy gold, especially if Hollywood lays on the heroics.; 11/16/11, 11:59 AM
Alex said...: No doubt a left-wing hit piece, I'll skip.; 11/16/11, 12:16 PM
ricpic said...: Nothing the Left spews will change the fact that Thatcher, Reagan and Pope John XXIII, acting separately but together, bucked up the West, brought down the Soviet Empire (their greatest "crime") and at least temporarily stayed the return of the Dark Ages.; 11/16/11, 2:29 PM
JackOfClubs said...: One of my favorite people played by one of my least favorite actresses. What could go wrong?; 11/16/11, 3:34 PM
HT said...: She's too pretty, too young (looking), too hip-y, too tall. She did Prada, what could top that in terms of odes to power? It was great. And silly and superficial and sexy. Not sure I'll see this one.

There was a british commercial that won an award one year with a little girl being told to eat her beans so she can grow up to be, to be... "prime minister?" she says innocently. Next shot, you see the plate of beans getting snatched away.

Primary Colors was a "clinton pic," maybe not a good one. I thought John Travolta got the eating down pretty good.; 11/16/11, 4:59 PM
The Scythian said...: The notoriously Left-wing Guardian praised Streep's performance, but blasted the film for making Thatcher "not merely respectable, but sympathetic".

Meanwhile, Britain's Right-leaning press has been giving it unashamedly positive reviews. The Daily Mail's review is headlined, "An insult? No, this shows why Maggie was so mighty". The Telegraph's review says that the question of whether or not it would be a hatchet job has been laid to rest -- it is "relatively even-handed, and for long stretches sympathetic" to Thatcher.

Other things that I've read suggest that the film is anything but a hit piece.

I'll know for certain after I see it, but it doesn't look like a hit piece so far.; 11/16/11, 6:00 PM
PaulV said...: Meryl does not have the cojones to play Lady Thacker; 11/16/11, 7:35 PM
Carol_Herman said...: I think the film will be excellent!

Yes, Margaret Thatcher suffers from Alzheimer's. Just as did Ronald Reagan.

To prevent the "gossip" of this terrible illness, Nancy Reagan STOPPED everyone from coming inside her home! No political friends were allowed IN. (Since Reagan wouldn't have recognized them, anyway.)

Yes. Margaret Thatcher was the IRON LADY! And, she was right about NOT WANTING ENGLAND TO JOIN THE EURO!

In the short term, because of the WHORE Tony Blair. And, the WHORE Bill Clinton ... the world went nuts. And, money rolled in like it was being shot out of a fire hose.

Margaret Thatcher was still right!

But NOT her party!

Get used to it. Politics is ugly.

Alzheimer's isn't kind to the family.

As Ronald Reagan, himself, wrote, when he announced he'd been diagnosed with this terrible illness, "that it was worse for the family."

Those who can't admit that Alzheimer's is devastating will hate this movie.

On the other hand for families who have been put through this ... Meryl Streep's performance will be judged to be "right on."

She WON on the Falklands!

And, she gave Ronald Reagan BACKBONE! An iron spine of support.

Bill Clinton? If it wasn't for Monica, he'd have done nothing to remember at all.

I can't wait to see this movie.; 11/16/11, 11:04 PM
Carol_Herman said...: Imagine a movie about Reagan showing how Nancy coped.

England has it's IRON LADY. We had a First Lady made of steel. And, her whole being was dedicated to her "RON." She stayed in the background while he got applauded. And, when she appeared ... she was radiant. In red.

Ronald Reagan loved his wife very much.

What followed his diagnosis would make a great movie. Of courage. And, the tight knit protection and bonds that developed between a few select Secret Service men (and women?) ... who protected and loved a man ... who suffered for a dozen years from Alzheimer's.

That part's not a secret.; 11/16/11, 11:06 PM