Scandal in a Small Town (1988): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1988, Scandal in a Small Town is a drama and tv movie film directed by Anthony Page, running about 91 minutes. “She's in for the fight of her life, against her own shameless past.” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. Leda Beth Vincent lives in the small town of Shiloh and works as a cocktail waitress there. She is not too well thought of as she is nothing of a blushing virgin. But she is far from a whore and brings up her daughter Julie, a high school student, as a loving responsible mother. So, when she becomes aware that Julie's very popular history teacher, Mr Baker, spreads antisemitic ideas among his pupils, Leda Beth decides to ask Mr Baker for an explanation. But she comes up against a wall. Nobody in town - Julie less than all others - wants to support her and it looks as if she will have to bring the Board of Education to court. The trouble is that a school dropout and a tramp of her kind does not count for much compared to the holders of knowledge and of morality.

Who’s in it. Scandal in a Small Town stars Raquel Welch as Leda Beth Vincent, Ronny Cox as George Baker, Frances Lee McCain as Gwendolyn and Peter Van Norden as Paul Martin, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.0/10, Scandal in a Small Town has proved divisive with audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Scandal in a Small Town page.

If you liked it. Fans of Scandal in a Small Town tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.