The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

Muriel Spark's 1961 novel about an eccentric and charismatic teacher at an Edinburgh girls' school during the 1930s had already been adapted for both stage and screen by Jay Presson Allen when it became the springboard for this seven-part series broadcast on Scottish television in 1978. Although inspired by the book, this version's numerous departures include substantially altering some characters while adding others and inventing plot threads along the way (it also ends mid-narrative, as if more episodes were anticipated but never made). Nevertheless, it's an intriguing complement to Ronald Neame's beloved 1969 film starring Maggie Smith. Geraldine McEwan is a less demonstrative Brodie than Smith, but her more pinched, restrained performance serves as a nice contrast. Throughout, the girls who play Brodie's favorites—the “crème de la crème,” as she calls them—are spirited and credible, while the adult supporting cast (including John Castle as the art master) is fine across the board. Visually, the production doesn't wear its years well; despite a few outdoor scenes, it is mostly shot on drab studio sets that are often cramped, and the images look rather washed-out and sometimes murky. But this release will nevertheless be of interest to fans of Spark's book. DVD extras include a brief featurette about the author's receipt of a monetary award (of which she donates a portion to her old alma mater). Recommended, overall. (F. Swietek)