The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (Replay ep. RIP Maggie Smith! 1934-2024)

Book Vs. Movie: The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie(Replay ep for Dame Maggie Smith 1934-2024)The Margos celebrate September with a series of “Back to School” episodes, starting with the 1961 classic  The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark. Brodie is a popular teacher at a girls' school in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1931.Each year she picks a group of students to be an elite part of the “Brodie set”--under her tutelage learning mostly about the arts & beauty (and not science!)Brodie is single and considers herself at her “prime,” with two gentlemen vying for her affection. Mr. Lloyd is a painter, a father of six, and a bit of a letch. Mr. Lowther is a kind person but a bit wishy-washy. The competition for her attention and affection marks their relationships and is a game the girls enjoy watching.Turns out Brodie is a Fascist, which is her ultimate undoing. The complicated story about education and mentorship is an indictment of giving one person too much power over a young mind. The 1969 movie was not a massive hit at the time, but when Dame Maggie Smith won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1970, it went back into the theaters and became a classic. There are many changes between the book & the film. Which did the Margos like more? In this ep the Margos discuss: