Shirley Valentine (1989)

Shirley's a middle-aged Liverpool housewife, who finds herself talking to the wall while she prepares her husband's chip'n'egg, wondering what happened to her life. She compares scenes in ... See full summary »

Director:

Lewis Gilbert

Writers:

Willy Russell (play), Willy Russell (screenplay)

Stars:

Pauline Collins, Tom Conti, Julia McKenzie

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Pauline Collins	...	Shirley Valentine
Tom Conti	...	Costas
Julia McKenzie	...	Gillian
Alison Steadman	...	Jane
Joanna Lumley	...	Marjorie
Sylvia Syms	...	Headmistress
Bernard Hill	...	Joe
George Costigan	...	Dougie
Anna Keaveney	...	Jeanette
Tracie Bennett	...	Millandra
Ken Sharrock	...	Sydney
Karen Craig	...	Thelma
Gareth Jefferson	...	Brian
Gillian Kearney	...	Young Shirley
Catharine Duncan	...	Young Marjorie

Storyline

Shirley's a middle-aged Liverpool housewife, who finds herself talking to the wall while she prepares her husband's chip'n'egg, wondering what happened to her life. She compares scenes in her current life with what she used to be like and feels she's stagnated and in a rut. But when her best friend wins an all-expenses-paid vacation to Greece for two, Shirley begins to see the world, and herself, in a different light.

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Plot Keywords:

greece | vacation | housewife | extramarital affair | holiday romance | 

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Taglines:

No one thought she had the courage. The nerve. Or the lingerie.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 August 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Shirley Valentine - Auf Wiedersehen, mein lieber Mann

Filming Locations:

Waldegrave School for Girls, Fifth Cross Road, Twickenham, UK

Box Office

Gross USA:

$6,353,913

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The age of the Shirley Valentine character played by Pauline Collins was 42. Collins in real life when she played the part in this film had just turned 48.

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Goofs

Gillian tells Shirley that their house is vegan but is giving the dog muesli and milk. Vegans don't have any dairy products.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Shirley Valentine: Hiya Wall.
[to the camera]
Shirley Valentine: Well what's wrong with that? There's a woman three doors down talks to her microwave. Talking to a microwave! Wall, what's the world coming to ?

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Alternate Versions

When the film received its British terrestrial television debut, the BBC edited the famous "You afraid I want to try and make f*** with you" exchange between Costas and Shirley, substituting the profanity for the word "love" and effectively ruining one of the funniest moments in the film (Dougie's reaction to the juicy dialogue). Several people complained, and the next time the BBC showed the film, the bad language was left intact.

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Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theater 3000: Bloodlust! (1994)

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Soundtracks

Jerusalem
Written by Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry (as Hubert Parry) & William Blake

User Reviews

The Classic Married Person's Midlife-Crisis Comedy

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"