II Questions for discussion

1. What were you expecting from The Iron Lady? How did you feel watching the film? Were there any scenes you found particularly impressive (Which scene(s) made the biggest impression on you)? Which scene(s) do you find most memorable?

2. What do you consider to be the strengths and weakness of the film, and of Meryl Streep’s performance as Mrs Thatcher? Does she play her part convincingly?

3. In your opinion, is the film structured in a way so that the audience can follow the plot easily?

4. How would you describe Thatcher’s character? What influence does the young Margaret’s father (Iain Glenn) have on her? How does this continue to shape her throughout her life? In what ways does she change during the course of her life (as we see it portrayed in the film)?

5. How did The Iron Lady make you feel about Margaret Thatcher as a person? To what extent did your feelings about her change during the course of the film? How did you feel about the depiction of her with a deteriorating memory, given that she was still alive?

6. Margaret’s approach towards career and family is a major focus of the film. Can you identify with the dilemma that she faces? What is your reaction towards her choices? Do you agree with Margaret that «one’s life must matter, beyond the cooking and the cleaning and the children?» Is it necessary to prioritise career ahead of family for your life to matter? To what extent is Thatcher’s lifelong determination to do something useful with her life and to serve her country unusual in contemporary society? What discourages people from having this kind of ambition?

7. How would you describe Margaret Thatcher’s relationships with her husband Denis (Jim Broadbent) and with her daughter Carol (Olivia Coleman)? Do you see any significance in the fact that her son Mark barely features in the film, and if so, what?

8. Denis challenges Margaret about confusing duty with ambition. What do you think is the difference between the two? What are the positive and negative aspects of being ambitious? Who – if anyone – do we have a «duty» towards?

9. How do you think Margaret might have felt as she entered the House of Commons for the first time? Can you identify with feeling like that from any situations you have faced in your own life? What other historical figures have broken down barriers in a similar way? What motivated them to fight for a change?

10. ‘We will stand on principle, or we will not stand at all.’ – Margaret Thatcher.

What are the principles on which Thatcher stands? How does she demonstrate that principles are supremely important to her? Without getting too political, which of her principles do you agree with, and which do you have problems with? Why?

11. ‘People don’t think any more; they feel.... Do you know, one of the great problems of our age is that we are governed by people who care more about feelings than they do about thoughts and ideas.’ – Margaret Thatcher.

Is Lady Thatcher right that people care more about feelings than ideas? What are the negative or positive consequences of this for society, and for government in particular?

12. Screenwriter Abi Morgan says, ‘this is a film really about a character, Margaret Thatcher, who the past sort of attacks her and takes her hostage in a way.’

In what ways does the past ‘take her hostage’? In what ways does the past take all of us hostage? How do you deal with regrets over what has happened in your past? How is it possible to come to terms with loss, whether of influence, health or family members?

13. Would you recommend the film to others? How would you rate the film? For example, was it instructive, sad, etc.? What was the most valuable thing you learned from it?

III Margaret's missing words (some of the quotes are not in the film)

Each sentence is a quote from Margaret Thatcher, with one or more words missing. What words complete the quotes?

1. Any woman who understands the problems of running a h________ will be nearer to understanding the problems of running a country.

2. Being p_____________ is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.

3. Being Prime Minister is a lonely job... you cannot lead from the c__________.

4. I am extraordinarily p____________, provided I get my own way in the end.

5. I owe n____________ to Women’s Lib.

6. If my critics saw me walking over the Thames they would say it was because I couldn’t s___________.

7. If you just set out to be liked, you would be prepared to c______________ on anything at any time, and you would achieve nothing.

8. If you want something s___________, ask a man; if you want something d__________, ask a woman.

9. No one would remember the Good Samaritan if he’d only had good i______________; he had m________ as well.

10. Standing in the middle of the r__________ is very dangerous; you get knocked down by the traffic from both sides.

11. There can be no liberty unless there is e______________ liberty.

12. There is no such thing as s_________: there are individual men and women, and there are families.

13. Watch your thoughts, for they become w_________. Watch your w_________, for they become a_________. Watch your a_________, for they become h_________. Watch your h_________, for they become your c_________. And watch your c_________, for it becomes your d_________. What we think, we become. My father always said that. And I think I am fine.

14. You can rewind your past as much as you like but you can't c_________ it.

15. It's time to get up! It's time go to work! It's time to put the g________ back into Great Britain!

16. Europe was created by h________. America was created by p________.

17. The lady's not for t________.

18. It used to be about trying to d________ something. Now it's about trying to b________ someone.

19. Gordon Reece: "That hat has got to go - and the pearls. But the main thing is your voice. It's too high and it has no authority."

Margaret Thatcher: "I may be persuaded to surrender the hat. The pearls, however, are absolutely n________. That's the tone that we want to s________.

20. Margaret Thatcher: "I've decided to run."

Denis Thatcher: "Are you saying that you want to be prime minister?!" Margaret Thatcher: "This is my d________, and my..."

Denis Thatcher: "It's a________ that's got you this far - ambition! And the rest of us, me, the children, we can all go to hell!"

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