An unlikely family is born. In nineteenth-century Edinburgh, two schoolteachers open a boarding school, dreaming of laying the foundations for an independent life together. Soon after, an aristocrat decides to enrol her “illegitimate” fifteen-year-old granddaughter, and the newly built world of Miss Pirie and Miss Woods begins to crack — especially when the grandmother suggests that Jane should spend the summer there as well. The school year resumes, and everything spills over.
Edinburgh, 1810. Marianne Woods (Clare Dunne) and Jane Pirie (played by the film’s co-screenwriter Flora Nicholson), two teachers, embark on their dream of an independent life together and open a boarding school. Soon after, a wealthy aristocrat (Fiona Shaw) enrolls Jane Cumming (Mia Tharia), her “illegitimate” 15-year-old grandchild. An accusation follows, leaving the teachers fighting for their lives and resulting in a legal battle that would scandalize the establishment. Based on true events, this is the premise of The Education of Jane Cumming by Sophie Heldman.
The courts took ten years to reach a decision, and the documents were sealed for a century. But instead of focusing on the legal battle, this tender film explores the female universe hidden within the original court records.
Before Sophie Heldman, The Children’s Hour (1961) by William Wyler first explored this case. Adapted from Lillian Hellman’s 1934 play, the film stars Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine as the teachers. However, Sophie Heldman’s film takes its inspiration from the 2013 study by Lillian Faderman, Scotch Verdict: The Real-Life Story That Inspired The Children’s Hour.
The Education of Jane Cumming allows us to journey through echoes of films such as Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire and Jane Campion’s The Portrait of a Lady.
As Sophie Heldman said, “Miss Pirie and Miss Woods are early feminists who carry the seed of future emancipation movements.”. This fascinating portrait captures gender pressures shaping nineteenth-century women’s lives, as well as the class forces behind their marginalization.
An urgent drama about rejection, desire, and the courage to stand up for justice. (Alexandra Ferraz)
