Calendar Girls (2003)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Nigel Cole

Writers:

Tim Firth (written by)
Juliette Towhidi (written by)

Release Date:

12 September 2003 (Norway)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

They dropped everything for a good cause.

Plot:

A Women's Institute chapter's fundraising effort for a local hospital by posing nude for a calendar becomes a media sensation.

Plot Keywords:

Calendar | Yorkshire | Leukemia | Hospital | Posing Nude

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 2 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Helen Mirren	...	Chris Harper
Julie Walters	...	Annie Clarke
John Alderton	...	John Clarke
Linda Bassett	...	Cora
Annette Crosbie	...	Jessie
Philip Glenister	...	Lawrence Sertain
Ciarán Hinds	...	Rod Harper
Celia Imrie	...	Celia
Geraldine James	...	Marie
Penelope Wilton	...	Ruth Reynoldson
George Costigan	...	Eddie Reynoldson
Graham Crowden	...	Richard
John Fortune	...	Frank
Georgie Glen	...	Kathy
Angela Curran	...	May Wilkinson

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for nudity, some language and drug-related material.

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | UK:12 (video rating) (2003) | UK:12A (original rating) | Hungary:14 | Finland:K-3 | South Korea:15 | Taiwan:R-12 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Brazil:12 | Canada:PG | Germany:o.Al. (bw) | Hong Kong:IIA | Netherlands:AL | New Zealand:PG | Norway:A | Peru:PT | Philippines:PG-13 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | Switzerland:14 (canton of the Grisons) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #39650)

Filming Locations:

Buckden, North Yorkshire, England, UK

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

Anne Reid was offered a major role, but choose to do Roger Michell's The Mother (2003/I) instead.

Goofs:

Continuity: When leaving the hotel for the first time before they get into the limo to go to sign autographs, one of the women takes a camera from the photographer and then, between shots, the camera changes from right hand to left and the right again.

Quotes:

[Jem has been arrested by the police for possession of cannabis]
Rod: They're not charging him.
Annie: Why? Is it not illegal then?
Rod: Well, cannabis is, but they tend not to worry too much about oregano.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in 'Calendar Girls': Creating the Calendar (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

Find Another Way

Great British Comedy with captivating actors

Did you know what makes the difference between "Art and Pornography"? Well it´s the artist. This was one of the stroking scenes of the film "Calendar Girls". This film is profundly moving and even more because it is based on a true story. The women of the W.I club somewhere in Yorkshire are famous for plum jam and speeches on different household or gardening items which are mostly quite tedious. The situation changes by the time the husband of Annie (Julie Walters)suffers from leukemia and can´t get through. Annie´s best friend Chris (Helen Mirren)comes up with the idea of a nude calendar with the women of the W.I. club to raise money for a settee at the leukemia ward at the local hospital. At first everybody is quite suspicious but the calendar turns out as a tremendous success which brings the girls even to Hollywood.

I have rarely ever seen such a heart-warming and inspiring film. This movie makes you laugh and cry almost at the same time. (My favourite scene was the one with the oregano-joint ;-).) As most British comedies the actors were fabulous and the jokes did not seem constructed like they do in most Hollywood productions.

This film is a hymn for all middle aged women. It shows the world that 40+ women can look great even when they are nude. "The women of Yorkshire are like the flowers of Yorkshire in the last state of their lives they look best."

This film is highly recommendable for everybody even if you just want to see the beautiful landscape of Yorkshire.