Educating Rita (film)

Educating Rita is a British 1983 dramacomedy film directed by Lewis Gilbert with a screenplay by Willy Russell based on Russells stage play. The film stars Michael Caine, Julie Walters, and Maureen Lipman. It won multiple major awards for best actor and best actress and was nominated for three Oscars.

The film focuses on Ritas unhappiness with her life in her bluecollar, workingclass environment, including her husband who wants Rita to cease her educational pursuits and instead to have children. Rita struggles to fit into a new educated middleclass existence in academia, while seeking a better song to sing. Ritas original preconceptions that the educated classes have better lives and are happier people are brought into question throughout the film through Franks failing social life and alcoholism and her flatmate Trishs attempted suicide. Rita, her search, and her searchs meaning for her, all evolve as she adapts to academia and grows as a person.Lewis Gilbert says it was difficult to raise finance for the film. Columbia wanted me to cast Dolly Parton as Rita. ........

Source: Wikipedia