Join host Benjamin Schneider with guests Casey Haltom and Allen Stafford for a thought-provoking deep dive into The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969), featuring Maggie Smith's Oscar-winning performance as the charismatic and dangerous Edinburgh teacher.

We explore Jean Brodie's manipulation of young minds, the film's complex tension between beauty and control, and the surprising connections to Italian Renaissance artist Giotto di Bondone. Based on Muriel Spark's novel and directed by Ronald Neame, this film examines how idealism can shade into fascism—and the lasting impact one teacher can have on impressionable students.

We also discuss the film's literary origins, stage adaptations starring Vanessa Redgrave and Zoe Caldwell, and why this character study remains strikingly relevant today.

Coffee Pairing: Blue Bo ...