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Shirley Valentine

Play trailer Poster for Shirley Valentine R Released Aug 30, 1989 1h 48m Romance Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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72% Tomatometer 18 Reviews 86% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Feeling trapped in a world of domesticity, Shirley (Pauline Collins), a housewife from Liverpool, England, needs a change in her life before she has another conversation with the walls. When her friend Jane (Alison Steadman) invites her on a trip to a Greek island, Shirley jumps at the chance. Upon landing, Jane ditches Shirley for a fling, which means Shirley is left to her own devices. Shirley wanders the island, meets a taverna owner (Tom Conti) and begins to find the joy in life again.
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Shirley Valentine

Critics Reviews

View All (18) Critics Reviews
Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times There were moments during the movie when I cringed at the manipulative dialogue as the heroine recited warmed-over philosophy and inane one-liners when she should have been allowed to speak for herself. Rated: 1/4 Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader Rated: 2/4 Aug 30, 1989 Full Review Edward Porter Sunday Times (UK) Its upbeat charm still comes mainly from Shirley herself — played with warmth and sparkiness by Pauline Collins — but other actors also contribute, most notably Tom Conti as a Greek charmer. Mar 13, 2023 Full Review Olly Richards Sunday Times (UK) A timeless comic performance, every line underplayed and the fourth wall broken for knowing glances to camera. Sep 19, 2022 Full Review Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) Loses its ingenuity and intimidation. [Full review in Spanish] Jun 29, 2022 Full Review Danny Brogan Common Sense Media Classic British comedy challenges gender stereotypes; sex. Rated: 4/5 Jan 24, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Glafira Regina O In general, it is a very good, light comedy film about a woman in a mid-life crisis, who is not happy with her life - her husband perceives her as a housewife, and her grown children - as a nanny. Therefore, one day Shirley packs her things and secretly flies to Greece for a short vacation - and meets a handsome Greek there. By the end of the film, he turns out to be nothing more than a fraud, pretending to be a loving husband in front of female tourists, and Shirley still stays at the hotel - already as a waitress who abandoned her past life in Britain. The only negative of the film is the open ending. In the end, a man does come to see Shirley, but we are not shown anything about what they talked about, nor how the meeting ended. My rating: 8/10 Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/28/24 Full Review Gnr E I loved it. Comedy drama movies always exciting Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/22/24 Full Review Munkhchimeg T Liked the point. Makes me think abour who is in charge for your happiness Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/22/24 Full Review Ellis E I feel as if many of the people that have reviewed this film haven't empathised with the realities of living a northern working-class life, and specifically the expectations set upon the women of those family units. To me, this film isn't about the specific account of Shirley's 'mid-life crisis' so to speak, but rather a love letter to matriarchs. Though dated by today's standards, I'd say it took a good crack at fighting against the stigma of being a middle-aged woman that has chose to push back against the societal taboos surrounding a woman of her age. Overall, though this film isn't perfect on the cinematography (though the imagery of the boat shaking makes me giggle), the story is something I can't help but feel is severely underrated. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/23/23 Full Review isla s This is a comedy drama film with some amusing moments but its also quite clearly a film that has aged. I suppose its a nice form of nostalgia, in a way. Its an easy watch and its even somewhat thoughtful. This is a good film. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Lovely movie, with a lot of humor, but serious and with a good message ast the same time. Cute, sweet movie Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/23/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Shirley Valentine

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Shirley Valentine

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Movie Info

Synopsis Feeling trapped in a world of domesticity, Shirley (Pauline Collins), a housewife from Liverpool, England, needs a change in her life before she has another conversation with the walls. When her friend Jane (Alison Steadman) invites her on a trip to a Greek island, Shirley jumps at the chance. Upon landing, Jane ditches Shirley for a fling, which means Shirley is left to her own devices. Shirley wanders the island, meets a taverna owner (Tom Conti) and begins to find the joy in life again.
Director
Lewis Gilbert
Producer
Lewis Gilbert
Screenwriter
Willy Russell, Willy Russell
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Production Co
Paramount Pictures
Rating
R
Genre
Romance, Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 30, 1989, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA)
$4.7M
Runtime
1h 48m
Sound Mix
Dolby, Surround
Aspect Ratio
35mm
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