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Notes on a Scandal (film)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Notes on a Scandal | |
|---|---|
 Promotional movie poster for the film. |
|
| Directed by | Richard Eyre |
| Produced by | Redmond Morris Scott Rudin Robert Fox |
| Written by | Patrick Marber (screenplay) Zoë Heller (novel) |
| Starring | Judi Dench Cate Blanchett Bill Nighy |
| Music by | Philip Glass |
| Cinematography | Chris Menges |
| Editing by | John Bloom |
| Distributed by | Fox Searchlight Pictures |
| Release date(s) | December 25, 2006 |
| Running time | 98 min. |
| Language | English |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
| Ratings | |
|---|---|
| Australia: | MA |
| Canada (Home Video)): | 14A |
| Ireland: | 16 |
| Singapore: | M18 |
| United Kingdom: | 15 |
| United States: | R |
Notes on a Scandal is a 2006 Academy Award-nominated British film adapted from the 2003 novel Notes on a Scandal by Zoë Heller. The screenplay was written by Patrick Marber and the film was directed by Richard Eyre. The soundtrack was composed by Philip Glass.
The DVD was released on April 17th, 2007.
Contents |
Barbara Covett (Dench) teaches history at a comprehensive school in London, England. A lonely old spinster, Barbara's primary relationship is with herself by means of a diary which she keeps compulsively, the only "intimate relationship" in her life. She is unpopular among her pupils and colleagues, but for good reason. She has a disdain for them, feeling that if only she could win their friendship they would see a different side of her, yet her domineering and possessive demeanor prevents this from taking place. She looks down on those around her, writing vigorously in her diary (privately, of course) that most are 'beneath her'.
At the start of the school year, a new teacher, Sheba Hart (Blanchett), begins to teach art at the school. When two male students get into a fight despite Sheba's attempts to separate them, Barbara intervenes, discovering in the process that one of the boys was fighting the other because the latter had impugned Sheba's honour. After the squabble is dispersed, Sheba is greatly indebted to Barbara for helping her and asks Barbara to join her for a drink after school.
Barbara and Sheba begin a friendship, during the course of which Barbara learns of Sheba's family, her much older husband and two children, a boy with Down's Syndrome, and a girl. Sheba admits to her that she is unhappy with her life and had planned it differently. Barbara is thrilled with her new friendship and begins to place her hopes on it.
Not seeing Sheba at the school play, Barbara goes looking for her and witnesses her having an amorous encounter with 15-year-old Steven Connolly (Andrew Simpson), the boy who had earlier fought for her. Barbara is shaken and confronts Sheba, demanding to know everything. Sheba explains that Steven had been making passes at her during their after-school tutoring sessions, and that she had succumbed after learning that his father is abusive and that his mother is dying from kidney failure. Sheba, at first, thought it was wrong, but 'at first it was our secret; and secrets can be seductive.' Barbara sees this as her opportunity to cement the relationship she always wanted. She agrees not to inform anyone if Sheba ends the affair, noting everything down in the diary.
Sheba's gratitude and Barbara's increased hope intensify their friendship, causing Barbara to become more possessive about Sheba and her friendship. Sheba, however, has not been able to resist Steven's desire for her, or her own feelings. A planned tryst is interrupted by Barbara's unexpected visit, during which Barbara attempts a physical seduction of Sheba, who is visibly desperate to meet with Steven. Barbara glimpses the shape of a boy in the back yard as Sheba's cell phone rings and both women lunge for it. Barbara is first to take the call, only to hear Steven's graphic, seductive language. She again forces Sheba to promise to cut off the relationship. Sheba does, discovering in the process that Steven's tale of woe about his family was a lie.
Matters are brought to a head when Barbara, distraught over her cat's death, seeks out Sheba's companionship. She meets up with her as Sheba and her family are leaving for a long-planned school play involving her son. Barbara confronts Sheba with the demand to choose there and then between her and her family, resorting to blackmail. Sheba says that her loyalties lie with her family and goes off to the school play. A teary-eyed and furious Barbara buries her cat alone. Later that evening, and to her surprise, she receives a visitor. It's Brian, one of her colleagues from the school. After a few minutes of chit-chat, Brian lets it be known that he has come to discuss Sheba because he knows that Barbara has a very close relationship with her. Still feeling betrayed and lonely, she hints to Brian that Sheba is having an affair with a student. With a little pressing, Brian is able to to get all of the information he needs. Humiliated and incensed, he reports the incident, with disastrous results for Sheba, Barbara, their lives and friendship.
It takes very little time before the school and Steven's parents are involved. In a rush of emotion, Steven's mother storms into Sheba's home, accuses her before her family of sleeping with "a child" and physically attacks her. Sheba's husband blames her for giving in to feelings that "everyone has but is able to suppress." Within a short amount of time, Sheba is questioned by the police in a headline investigation. In the meantime, the school headmaster believes Barbara was aware of the affair and questions her, but is unable to find any evidence. He does, however, mention a previous incident where a "friend" of Barbara's moved away after requesting a restraining order against her, claiming she had stalked her previously. Barbara is forced into retirement a year early and is stalked by the press as well.
Barbara visits Sheba, who has been cast out by her family, in particular her husband and daughter. Believing that Steven had been the one to divulge the relationship, Sheba goes to live with Barbara. Even though this is Sheba's hell, Barbara is in heaven. While Barbara fantasizes about renewed intimacy with her, Sheba discovers the diary. Disgusted, Sheba exposes Barbara to herself as a deluded liar and fool, and returns to her family and a sentence of ten months in prison.
Some short time later, after Sheba has been convicted and has left Barbara to her miserable being once again, Barbara meets Annabel, who is reading about Sheba in a newspaper at a local park. She talks to Annabel about having known Sheba. As they talk, a new possible friendship begins, one which may include another "deep bond."
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Judi Dench | Barbara Covett |
| Cate Blanchett | Bathsheba 'Sheba' Hart |
| Bill Nighy | Richard Hart |
| Andrew Simpson | Steven Connolly |
| Juno Temple | Polly Hart |
| Max Lewis | Ben Hart |
| Michael Maloney | Headmaster Sandy Pabblem |
| Joanna Scanlan | Sue Hodge |
| Philip Davis | Brian Bangs |
| Anne-Marie Duff | Annabel |
The film opened to generally positive reviews, receiving a Rotten Tomatoes certified fresh rating of 87%.
- Nominated: Best Actress — Judi Dench
- Nominated: Best Supporting Actress — Cate Blanchett
- Nominated: Best Adapted Screenplay — Patrick Marber
- Nominated: Best Original Score — Philip Glass
- Nominated: Best British Film
- Nominated: Best Actress — Judi Dench
- Nominated: Best Adapted Screenplay — Patrick Marber
British Independent Film Awards
- Nominated: Best British Independent Film
- Won: Best Performance by an Actress in a British Independent Film — Judi Dench
- Nominated: Best Performance by a Supporting Actor or Actress in a British Independent Film — Cate Blanchett
- Won: Best Screenplay — Patrick Marber
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards
- Nominated: Best Actress — Judi Dench
- Nominated: Best Picture
- Nominated: Best Supporting Actress — Cate Blanchett
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards
- Nominated: Best Actress — Judi Dench
- Nominated: Best Supporting Actress — Cate Blanchett
- Nominated: Best Adapted Screenplay — Patrick Marber
- Nominated: Best Original Score
Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards
- Won: Best Supporting Actress — Cate Blanchett
- Won: Best Actress — Judi Dench
Florida Film Critics Circle Awards
- Won: Best Supporting Actress — Cate Blanchett
- Nominated: Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama — Judi Dench
- Nominated: Best Supporting Actress — Cate Blanchett
- Nominated: Best Screenplay — Patrick Marber
London Film Critics Circle Awards
- Nominated: Actress of the Year — Judi Dench
- Nominated: British Actress of the Year — Judi Dench
- Nominated: British Supporting Actor of the Year — Bill Nighy
Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Awards
- Won: Best Supporting Actress — Cate Blanchett
- Nominated: Best Actress — Judi Dench
- Nominated: Best Supporting Actress — Cate Blanchett
- Nominated: Best Original Score — Phillip Glass
Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards
- Won: Best Supporting Actress — Cate Blanchett
- Nominated: Best Actress — Judi Dench
- Nominated: Best Supporting Actress — Cate Blanchett
Toronto Film Critics Association Awards
- Won: Best Supporting Actress — Cate Blanchett
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