Shirley Valentine (1989)

Shirley Valentine, housewife to Joe with two grown up kids having fled the nest, is finding herself increasingly bored and disillusioned about her life. Then one day her friend offers her a chance to go away with her for a two week holiday to Greece and Shirley sees this as a chance to embrace all that she feels she missed out on in her life, leaving her family behind as she looks for adventure. Starring Pauline Collins, Tom Conti, Bernard Hill, Alison Steadman, Julia McKenzie, Joanna Lumley, Sylvia Syms, George Costigan, Anne Keaveney, Tracie Bennett, Ken Sharrock, Karen Craig, Gareth Jefferson, Gillian Kearney, Catherine Duncan, Cardew Robinson, Honora Burke and Marc Zuber among the cast. After the death of Pauline Collins only last week, it seems almost like fate that I would come across this film in a charity shop, so I decided to buy it to upload it here as a proper tribute to her. This proved to be one of Pauline Collins' biggest triumphs, winning her a hatful of awards as the wise cracking and heartbreaking housewife who feels stuck in a rut until she sees a chance of a lifetime to do what she wanted to when a friend offers her a holiday in Greece. It really is a perfect role to show off her range of talents, and she is helped by a plethora of stars, such as Bernard "Yosser" Hill, Julia McKenzie, Alison Steadman and of course Tom Conti as the barman she falls for in Greece. And Brookside fans keep your eyes peeled for Anne Keaveney (Marie Jackson) and Gillian Kearney as the young Shirley, just a year after finding fame on the soap. It's also fascinating to see it as a time capsule of the 1980's. as well as some anti woke ribbing that will amuse some. Please note that this film contains some swearing and nudity.