The Iron Lady (2012)

As I type this, Chris Evans is being “cancelled” on Twitter. I did a little research on this since I always thought Chris Evans was well-received. It turns out the backlash is because of a white savior movie he made called Red Sea Diving Resort. According to Wikipedia, this film “is a 2019 spy thriller film written and directed by Gideon Raff. The film stars Chris Evans as an Israeli Mossad agent who runs a covert operation that helps Ethiopian-Jewish refugees escape to safe haven in Israel.” The description goes on to say the film is based on historical events, and politically divisive.

This is important, but not new. Because of the current state of the world, politics are unavoidable more than ever, and movies are no exception. Movies that are set in real historical or political scenes are scrutinized to be historically accurate, or at the very least, not rewritten to make sure the good guys are White and…guys. I became curious about what information is being presented to audiences about about politics and politicians. I am distinguishing between political movies and movies about politics. One might argue that all movies have some political agenda, but I wanted to research the movies about political figures. While, as of the latest elections, there were steps made toward a more diverse group of civic leaders, but that is not always represented on the big screen. It might be hard for voters to support any possible politician that is not White and/or male because of the representation of politicians in their media consumption.

Herselfis directed byPhyllida Lloyd, best known for directingMamma Mia!andThe Iron Lady, written byMalcolm Campbell and starringClare Dunne.

The film illustrates the life of a single who struggles to provide an ideal childhood for her two daughters. Through acts of kindness from several individuals, Sandra builds a house and reestablishes her identity.

What started with a feel-good moment quickly turned disheartening. The film opens with Sandra (Dunne) singing and playing with her daughters, Molly and Emma (Molly McCannandRuby Rose O’Hara). Once Sandra’s husband Gary (Ian Lloyd Anderson) enters the kitchen, things turn dark. After the girls are sent outside in the cold, Gary ruthlessly attacks Sandra — he shoves her around, punches her, and completely wrecks her hand. Although Emma was sent off with the code “Black Widow,” meaning Sandra is in danger, Molly witnessed the violent abuse. While her witnessing is predictable, the audience isn’t meant to realize this about Molly until later on in the film.