Notes on a Scandal is a 2006 British psychological drama thriller directed by Richard Eyre and produced by Robert Fox and Scott Rudin. Adapted from the 2003 novel by Zoë Heller, the screenplay was written by Patrick Marber.
The film stars Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett, and Bill Nighy, and centres on a lonely veteran teacher who uncovers a fellow teacher’s illicit affair with an underage student.
In the film, Blanchett stars as Sheba Hart, a schoolteacher who finds herself at the center of a scandal when she engages in a sexual affair with one of her students.
Held emotionally hostage by Barbara, a fellow teacher (portrayed by Dench) who knows of the affair and obsesses over her friendship with Sheba, Blanchett’s character rides a tireless roller coaster of distress in order to keep the affair secret, not only from the public but from her family as well.
Notes on a Scandal earned Dench and Blanchett nominations for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress respectively at various ceremonies including the Academy Awards (Oscars), the Critics’ Choice Awards, the Golden Globe Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards; and a BAFTA Award nomination (for Dench alone).
Marber’s adapted screenplay also received nominations from the BAFTAs, Golden Globes, and Oscars—the latter of whom additionally nominated Philip Glass’s score. Notes on a Scandal had its limited theatrical release on 25 December 2006, then went into a wide release on 26 January 2007.