The Iron Lady (2011)

Meryl Streep was getting a lot of attention again when she got lots of awards for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in the film The Iron Lady (directed by Phyllida Llyod). She won Best Actress in the Golden Globes, British Academy Film Awards, and the Academy Awards.

The film narrates Thatcher's rise to power from a grocer's daughter to England's longest serving Prime Minister in the 20th century. When her would be husband Denis Thatcher asked her hand for marriage, she replied that she's not like the other girls, that she won't be confined to the domestic sphere and that she certainly does not want to just "wash teacups". Denis assured her that he won't be a hindrance to her ambitions and that this strongwilled character of hers is actually why he wanted to marry her.

So they did marry with Margaret getting involved in politics and eventually becoming the Prime Minister in a male-dominated sphere. Even so, she proceeded with her steadfast will and strong character. However, she paid a price for that power. She was alienated from her family. Her husband reprimanded her about being too carried away by ambitions while it is implicitly shown in the film that her relationship with her two children was not that well.

In her old age, she suffered from dementia. She had hallucinations of her already dead husband still living with her. In the end, she realizes that she has rejected what matters most in exchange for power--- her family.

This is a good movie that reminds us to think twice before pursuing an overly ambitious dream. This got me rethinking about what is important in life. Is it career, self-fulfillment, family, or what? When asked this question, it is easy to say that family comes first but in actuality this is not so. For instance, in my career of choice, my family cannot seem to understand why I want it. They cannot see that I find fulfillment in it. Because of this, we often argue about it, with me defending my right to choose my own path (since it's my life anyway) and this results to being a bit alienated since they all think the same.

Another important aspect in this film is leadership. A true leader does not decide all on his or her own, but listens to the people involved. A true leader does not do things in order to be popular but to create a better future.