Calendar Girls
Calendar Girls
PG-13
6.5
·

2003

·

108m

Calendar Girls

Summary

Members of a Yorkshire branch of the Women's Institute cause controversy when they pose nude for a charity calendar.

Director

Nigel Cole

Screenplay

Tim Firth

Screenplay

Juliette Towhidi

Reviews

John Chard

John Chard

August 18, 2019

7

It's not naked it's nude.

When Annie Clarke's beloved husband succumbs to leukaemia, her best friend Chris comes up with a unique idea for raising funds for the hospital that cared for the dearly departed John. They, and fellow members of the Knapely Womens Institute, will pose in some strategically nude pictures and sell them as a calendar!

Based on a true story, and following on from the roaring success of 1997s The Full Monty, it was a story just begging to be adapted for the big screen. Also boasting a shot in the arm for actresses of a certain age, who sadly are bereft of decent cinematic parts, Calendar Girls may not be a masterpiece of homely cinema values, but it certainly warms the cockles and hits an entertaining spot in spite of the laborious last third. The cast are uniformly excellent, Julie Walters, Helen Mirren (gorgeous), Linda Basset, Annette Crosbie and Geraldine James are particularly memorable in telling this tale of a close-knit village quite unsure on how to deal with a touchy subject. From there the press sensationalism arrives and this shifts the girls (and sadly the film) to another plane.

The picture manages to be that rare old thing of a comedy drama actually impacting heavy on both fronts. The comedy moments are joyous and flow frequently for the first two thirds of the picture, whilst the touching drama, of what is a serious subject at its core after all, really touches a nerve. Sadly as we enter the final third, the makers tag on an unnecessary dissection of friendships and relationships, and it nearly costs the film dear. It does survive, mainly due to the wonderful cast and the integrity laden point of view, making it a film that once viewed is clearly not going to be forgotten. So in the main we should all hail those wonderful Calendar Girls. 7/10

Media

Status:

Released

Original Language:

English

Budget:

$10,000,000.00

Revenue:

$96,542,059.00

Keywords

northern england
england
mannequin
based on true story
leukemia
calendar
yorkshire