Mrs Henderson Presents (2005)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Stephen Frears

Writers:

David Rose (idea)
Kathy Rose (idea)

Release Date:

25 November 2005 (Denmark)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Nudity - Variety - High Society

Plot:

Laura Henderson buys an old London theater and opens it up as the Windmill, a performance hall which goes down in history for, among other things, its all-nude revues.

Plot Keywords:

Theater | Live Show | Bicycle | Unwanted Pregnancy | Limousine

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 24 nominations

Cast

Judi Dench	...	Mrs. Laura Henderson
Bob Hoskins	...	Vivian Van Damm
Will Young	...	Bertie
Christopher Guest	...	Lord Cromer
Kelly Reilly	...	Maureen
Thelma Barlow	...	Lady Conway
Anna Brewster	...	Doris
Rosalind Halstead	...	Frances
Sarah Solemani	...	Vera
Natalia Tena	...	Peggy
Thomas Allen	...	Eric Woodburn (as Sir Thomas Allen)
Richard Syms	...	Ambrose
Ralph Nossek	...	Leslie Pearkes
Camille O'Sullivan	...	Jane
Doraly Rosen	...	Maggie

Also Known As:

Mrs Henderson Presents (USA)

MPAA:

Rated R for nudity and brief language.

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS (US prints) | Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:12A | Ireland:15A | USA:R | Australia:M | Netherlands:MG6 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Norway:7 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | France:U | Singapore:M18 | Canada:14A (Alberta/Nova Scotia) | Finland:K-7 | Brazil:14 | Argentina:13 | Sweden:7 | Iceland:L | Malaysia:(Banned) | Spain:T | Germany:6 | Portugal:M/12 | New Zealand:M

Filming Locations:

Chester Terrace, Regent's Park, London, England, UK

Company:

BBC Films

Trivia:

When Mrs. Henderson is in bed talking to Lady Conway by telephone, we see it as a split screen. Frears achieved this by filming them simultaneously side by side.

Quotes:

Lady Conway: It's really not so bad. Widows are allowed hobbies.
Laura Henderson: Hobbies?
Lady Conway: Yes. Embroidery, things like that.
Laura Henderson: Are you mad?
Lady Conway: I've graduated to weaving. Would you care to see my tapestries?
Laura Henderson: I'd rather drink ink.
Lady Conway: Committees are good of course. I serve on quite a few charities. Once your husband dies, it's quite permissible to help the poor. And now, there's no one to stop you buying things. Also, of course, there's a great deal of time for lovers.
Laura Henderson: Margot, I'm nearly 70!
Lady Conway: That's true, but you're also very rich. The one cancels out the other.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Comedy Connections: Dinnerladies (#4.2)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Inspiration

A winner

A lovely movie. The idea that a movie about a strip joint could be so classy and funny seems absurd. Yet here is a loving portrayal of London's Windmill Theatre whose motto "We never closed" (or, as some wags used to say, "We never clothed")sustained them through World War Two and at least into the 60s. Judy Dench seems to have shed her Dameness for a a high old time as a very glamorous, and slightly camp, septuagenarian. Bob Hoskins (also producer) is very restrained yet determined as her adversarial business partner. And Christopher Guest puts in a surprise appearance as the Lord Chamberlin befuddled at having to grant a license to such a licentious business enterprise. It is he that comes up with the idea that nudes absolutely still on stage are "art". The depiction of the London Blitz is romantic and at one moment tragically graphic. A must for Denchophiles, Anglophiles, nude lovers, showbiz types, and anyone who likes a good yarn well told.