RomanceComedy

Shirley Valentine

- No one thought she had the courage, the nerve, or the lingerie.

Wondering what has happened to herself, now feeling stagnant and in a rut, Shirley Valentine finds herself regularly talking to the wall while preparing her husband's chips and egg. When her best friend wins a trip-for-two to Greece Shirley begins to see the world, and herself, in a different light.

Release Date : 1989-08-30

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Paramount Pictures

Production Country : United KingdomUnited States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Shirley Valentine-Bradshaw

Original Name : Pauline Collins

Gender : Female

Character Name : Costas Demitriadis

Original Name : Tom Conti

Gender : Male

Character Name : Gillian

Original Name : Julia McKenzie

Gender : Female

Character Name : Jane

Original Name : Alison Steadman

Gender : Female

Character Name : Marjorie Majors

Original Name : Joanna Lumley

Gender : Female

Character Name : Headmistress

Original Name : Sylvia Syms

Gender : Female

Character Name : Joe Bradshaw

Original Name : Bernard Hill

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dougie

Original Name : George Costigan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jeanette

Original Name : Anna Keaveney

Gender : Female

Character Name : Millandra

Original Name : Tracie Bennett

Gender : Female

Character Name : Sydney

Original Name : Ken Sharrock

Gender : Male

Character Name : Thelma

Original Name : Karen Craig

Gender : Male

Character Name : Brian

Original Name : Gareth Jefferson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Young Shirley

Original Name : Gillian Kearney

Gender : Female

Character Name : Young Marjorie

Original Name : Catherine Duncan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Londoner

Original Name : Cardew Robinson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Londoner's Wife

Original Name : Honora Burke

Gender : Female

Character Name : Renos

Original Name : Marc Zuber

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sharon-Louise

Original Name : Deborah Yhip

Gender : Male

Character Name : German Tourist

Original Name : John Hartley

Gender : Male

Character Name : German Tourist

Original Name : Marlene Morley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Chambermaid

Original Name : Annee Blott

Gender : Female

Character Name : Male Teacher

Original Name : Matthew Long

Gender : Male

Character Name : Veronica

Original Name : Ruth Russell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Maureen

Original Name : Sarah Nolan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Liz

Original Name : Diane Whitley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Carol

Original Name : Joanne Zorian

Gender : Female

Character Name : Sally

Original Name : Geraldine Griffiths

Gender : Female

Character Name : Woman in Taverna

Original Name : Elaine Boisseau

Gender : Male

Character Name : Spiro

Original Name : Giorgos Xidakis

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cooking Teacher

Original Name : Sheila Aza

Gender : Male

Character Name : Executive Type

Original Name : Ray Armstrong

Gender : Male

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2022-07-03

Willy Russell adapted his own play for this tour de force from Pauline Collins as the bored housewife who spends much of her time at home guzzling wine and talking to the wall before her husband (Bernard Hill) comes home from work for his supper at 6pm prompt! When her friend "Jane" (Alison Steadman) wins an holiday on Mykonos for a fortnight, she invites "Shirley" to accompany her. She initially dithers but luckily a visit from her rather selfish daughter "Millandra" (Tracie Bennett) convinces her to head to the sunshine after all. Her pal doesn't even make it off the plane before she pulls, and so "Shirley" is left to her own devices. She quickly finds a replacement for her wall - a rock (not called Hudson) and it begins to look like she has merely substituted a beach for her kitchen at home, especially as the other British tourists who try to adopt her turn out to be twits of the highest order! Then she heads out for a stroll where she happens upon a small seaside bar where she meets the suave, moustachioed "Costas" (Tom Conti) and her adventure really begins. This is a very British film, this, I think. The nature of the humour is sarcastic and downbeat - and it is frequently laugh out loud and usually effective. The observational nature of the dialogue - often quite pithily delivered using her inanimate companions - is also enjoyable (and used effectively too by her lonely husband in his bomb-site of a kitchen). Miss Collins got an Oscar nomination for her performance here, and that was well deserved as I left the cinema wondering just how many real middle-aged people come to their senses in their mid-forties and realise that their lives have been lived vicariously and largely passed them by.

kevin2019

@kevin2019

2024-11-01

"Shirley Valentine" is a hugely entertaining film populated by richly layered and vividly drawn characters and fortunately it successfully manages to completely depart from its small scale theatrical roots to become a genuine motion picture treat. It essentially covers the same basic themes as "Educating Rita" (1983) and it is just as successful at doing this the second time around. The central characters of Rita and Shirley are also interesting. The former was about to become stymied by the very life the latter is already wearily trudging through on a daily basis, but they are both women trapped by the monotonous circumstances of their mundane lives and they desperately want so much more to live for in a world that is rapidly passing them by. They are eager to explore their potential as people after they have solemnly taken stock of their meagre lives so far and asked themselves the important question: "Am I really doing what I want to?" and the conclusion they both reach is much the same as for the vast majority of us: "No, I am not."