Tired Old Queen at the Movies: The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

Steve Hayes reviews the 1969 film:

Maggie Smith won her first and much deserved Oscar for the screen adaptation of Muriel Spark's novel, "The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie." Directed by Ronald Neame, the film takes place in Edinborough, Scotland, in the 1930's and deals with the legacy of a charismatic teacher who has a tragic influence on her pupils. It also stars Smith's then-husband Robert Stephens, Celia Johnson, Gordon Jackson, and the extraordinary Pamela Franklin as the one pupil not completely taken in by the Brodie mystique. It's a fascinating coming of age film that will have you laughing, crying and fascinated by the powerhouse performance of the great Maggie Smith.