How a chaotic school of girls saved their institution by stealing a priceless masterpiece.
In short: In the 2007 reboot of the classic British comedy series, the students of St Trinian's face financial ruin. To save their anarchic school from foreclosure, the pupils and their eccentric headmistress orchestrate a daring heist of Vermeer's Girl With a Pearl Earring during a nationally televised quiz show competition.
The 2007 film St Trinian's serves as a reboot of the long-running franchise based on cartoonist Ronald Searle's work. Unlike the original 1954 film and its subsequent sequels, which primarily focused on adult characters, this iteration shifts the spotlight onto the school's pupils. The plot follows Annabelle Fritton, who is sent to the school by her father, Carnaby, only to find herself amidst a collection of cliques ranging from Posh Totty to Emos. The school is run by Camilla Fritton, a role traditionally played by a male actor, here portrayed by Rupert Everett.
The narrative tension peaks when the school faces a foreclosure notice for debts exceeding £500,000. To prevent the institution from being converted into a boutique hotel, the students and staff devise a plan to steal a Vermeer painting from the National Gallery while participating in a televised quiz show called School Challenge. The operation involves cheating, inebriating an Education Minister, and a complex black-market art deal. Ultimately, the school secures the funds to repay its loans through a combination of the sale of a forgery and a reward for returning the original painting.
Critical reception of the film was mixed. While some reviewers praised its attempt to blend the spirit of the original films with a modern sensibility, others criticized its structure and reliance on crude humor. Despite these critiques, the film proved to be a commercial success, grossing over £12 million in the United Kingdom against a £7 million budget. Its performance at the box office led to the announcement of a sequel, The Legend of Fritton's Gold, at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: St Trinian's (film)
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