Genre: Drama, Comedy, Tragedy, True Story, Hollywood
Tagline: They dropped everything for a good cause.
Plot: Chris and Annie are the best of friends – very different, but very close. Living in a small village in the Yorkshire Dales, their peaceful lives are shattered when Annie’s husband dies of leukemia. An active member of the local Women’s Institute, Chris enlists the support of her fellow members in a fund-raising initiative for the local hospital. Her seemingly traditional idea is to produce a calendar, with a different woman photographed for each month. Each one will be engaged in a classic WI task, such as jam making, flower pressing and knitting. Sounds traditional enough, but her idea has a radical twist - the women will be in the nude. Before they know it, the women are hitting the headlines at home and abroad. Whisked off to Hollywood on a whirlwind publicity tour, they take their turn on the talk shows and in magazine photo shoots. Amidst the hype and glamour, the friendship between Chris and Annie is put to the
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Behind the Scenes:
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 Discussion forum for this movie
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 Disappointing more for what it tries--and fails--to be than for what it actually is, Calendar Girls is a decent movie whose few failings are made obvious in a field of quality pre-Oscar releases.  --Leigh Johnson (Hollywood.com)
No doubt, Calendar Girls will appeal to its target demographic - women of approximately the same age as the protagonists. It's a sad testament to the way motion pictures are made and marketed that there are so few roles for mature actresses --James Berardinelli (ReelViews)
Helen Mirren and a cast of middle-aged Yorkshire roses doff their Laura Ashley duds for charity. It's a sweet, sexy fable, even if it runs out of oomph too early.--Stephanie Zacharek (Salon)
That the movie works, and it does, is mostly because of the charm of Mirren and Walters, who show their characters having so much fun that it becomes infectious.  --Roger Ebert (Chicago Sun-Times)
Massively likable as long as you bring a book to take the edge off the dramatic baggage, “Calendar Girls” is a delightful celebration of what the ladies pulled off to great success in real life. B--Brian Orndorf (FilmJerk.com)
"Calendar Girls" is a feel-gooder that gives its audience a lot more credit than a Hollywood version of this tale most likely would. It's still a fluffy dessert, but you won't feel guilty afterwards.--Dean Carrano (FilmJerk.com)
The entire cast and especially the women shine warmly as real people and the inspiration they gave to thousands of women will continue and spread as a result of this film. Overall, Calendar Girls is a triumph. 7/10--Avril Carruthers (Movie-Vault.com)
If you don't think you'll mind some mild nudity involving older ladies though, then Calendar Girls is a fun, well acted and at times emotional movie that's worth seeing.  --Carl Lazarevic (MovieWeb)
Not only does Nigel Cole's film emulate Monty by having a group of unlikely people taking their clothes off. It also boasts the same winning blend of earthy humour and familiar faces behaving disgracefully. --Neil Smith (BBC Films)
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| Written by |
Tim Firth
Blackball, Kinky Boots, Cruise of the Gods | |
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| Cast |
Helen Mirren
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Gosford Park, Excalibur |
 | Julie Walters
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Billy Elliot |
 | Ciarán Hinds
Road to Perdition, The Phantom of the Opera, Munich |
 | John Alderton
Zardoz, Hannibal Brooks, Mrs Caldicot's Cabbage War | | Annette Crosbie
The Lord of the Rings, Hawk the Slayer, The Slipper and the Rose | | |
[more] |
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| Music By |
Patrick Doyle
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Bridget Jones's Diary, Gosford Park |
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| The marvellous cast and robust humour work to create a delightful comedy that’s both sexy and sassy. Filled with laugh-out-loud moments. 78/100 --Terri Clark (Apollo Guide)
...this is good clean fun, with or without the soap, and one of the most spirited entries of the season. --Jack Mathews (New York Daily News)
Well-acted, moving comedy in the Full Monty mould with a wonderful performance by Helen Mirren. --Matthew Turner (ViewLondon)
A nicely-acted Brit-com, but unfortunately it's also unavoidably dull. 4/10--Gary Panton (Movie Gazette)
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