Shirley Valentine

Pauline Collins is a 42-year-old Liverpudlian housewife who talks to the walls. One day she gives husband Bernard Hill's Thursday steak to the hound of the snooty lady across the street; she has been keeping it on a vegetarian diet. Hill explodes when she gives him fish and chips; that's Tuesday's meal. Her friend Alison Steadman wins a trip for two to Greece, takes Miss Collins along and abandons her to her own devices. She has no issue with that. She enjoys Greek food, drinks retsina and has an affair with tavern owner Tom Conti.

In her second movie role -- she had played a stripper in an exploitation film in 1966 -- Miss Collins recreates her Tony-winning role in the stage's one-hander. Given the bareness of the actual stage production, there is a shift of tone, from fantasy to anomie, and the other characters are given little depth, Miss Collins seems to be the character she plays in this gender-switching variation on ZORBA THE GREEK. If it also seems reminiscent of EDUCATING RITA, that's because Willy Russell wrote both plays, produced their transfers to the screen under the same director, Lewis Gilbert. Miss Collins is, as you might guess from the above, wonderful.

Every woman - and man for that matter - experiencing or approaching their 40s-50s midlife and/or who suspects they are living a stuck-in-a-rut lifestyle ought to be required to see this movie ASAP!! A rare gem that is simultaneously interesting, hilarious AND potentially life-changing! Plus a true feminist statement that is never obnoxious. I wonder how many marriages have been rescued by this film - although some may have been ended by it too. Beats the heck out of most books on the subject. Timeless.

"He needs to feel the sun on his skin and swim in water that is as deep as forever"

Pauline Collins is my hero. So is Shirley Valentine. They really are. I'm not kidding you. And I am man. This movie speaks to me, even so.

We all have dreams that have not been realized. We all need Shirley's courage to do as much as we can to live these dreams before we go off to the other place.

This movie taught me about life. It's not too late to be happy, to be in love, to smile every day and mean it. No matter what age you are.

Conti is charming and it is a shame we don't see him much anymore. He offers us a type of romantic hero we will never find in a Tom, Hanks or Cruise...too bad.

Joanna Lumley brings a special charm to her meeting with Shirley. Julia Mackenzie is especially good as her annoying friend.

Willy Russell cooked up a wonderful script from the wonderful play. Lewis Gilbert put it all together and worked hard to make us smile.

If you don't fall in love with this movie, you'll need a swift kick. Don't look at me. You'll have to give it to yourself. That's the magic and wonder of Shirley Valentine. She taught me how to kick myself into living!

Thank you, Shirley. Thank you, Pauline, Bill, Willy and Lewis.

For all of you middle-aged men and women who wonder just who you are, and where you're going; this is the movie for you!! What an insight to the real human spirit!! I've watched this several times and never fail to shed a tear over how I spent my life. This is a MUST DO for any adult struggling to make it. ( Bring a hankie) This is for men also!! The director has touched on the basic human emotion; who are we, why are we here, and most of all; what happened to "ME"? This movie has addressed so many questions that we all have, being caught up in the every day life, but always wondering-----"what if"? What a release for us to see that some times a person will follow their dreams! The message here is---Be true to yourself!!

Lewis Gilbert has made an excellent job of adapting this successful play for the screen.Pauline Collins has the role of a lifetime as the middle aged woman who has a mid life crisis.