Shirley Valentine

"No one thought she had the courage, the nerve, or the lingerie."

1989 1h 48m EN

😐

6.3

MID

★6.3TMDB · 115

RomanceComedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Wondering what has happened to herself, now feeling stagnant and in a rut, Shirley Valentine finds herself regularly talking to the wall while preparing her husband's chips and egg. When her best friend wins a trip-for-two to Greece Shirley begins to see the world, and herself, in a different light.

“No one thought she had the courage, the nerve, or the lingerie.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

JustWatch TVRent

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

YouTubeRent

Fandango At HomeRent

Spectrum On DemandRent

Amazon VideoBuy

Apple TV StoreBuy

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Pauline Collins
Shirley Valentine-Bradshaw
Tom Conti
Costas Demitriadis
Julia McKenzie
Gillian
Alison Steadman
Jane
Joanna Lumley
Marjorie Majors
Sylvia Syms
Headmistress
Bernard Hill
Joe Bradshaw
George Costigan
Dougie

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Lewis Gilbert
Writers: Willy Russell, Vernon Harris
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

37 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Lewis Gilbert, shot by Alan Hume. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Willy Russell. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Lesley Walker shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Pauline Collins and Tom Conti and Julia McKenzie carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "No one thought she had the courage, the nerve, or the lingerie.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0098319 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Lewis Gilbert directs. Alan Hume behind the camera. Willy Russell scores. Lesley Walker cuts. Produced in United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

137 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.
3Directed by Lewis Gilbert, shot by Alan Hume. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Willy Russell. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Lesley Walker shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Pauline Collins and Tom Conti and Julia McKenzie carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "No one thought she had the courage, the nerve, or the lingerie.".
8IMDB entry: tt0098319 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Alan Hume
Original score: Willy Russell
Editing: Lesley Walker
Production design: John Stoll
Costume design: Candy Paterson
Makeup / hair: Lois Burwell
Runtime: 108 min · 1h 48m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Shirley Valentine (1989)

Also by

Lewis Gilbert

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-07-03
★ 7/10
Willy Russell adapted his own play for this tour de force from Pauline Collins as the bored housewife who spends much of her time at home guzzling wine and talking to the wall before her husband (Bernard Hill) comes home from work for his supper at 6pm prompt! When her friend "Jane" (Alison Steadman) wins an holiday on Mykonos for a fortnight, she invites "Shirley" to accompany her. She initially dithers but luckily a visit from her rather selfish daughter "Millandra" (Tracie Bennett) convinces her to head to the sunshine after all. Her pal doesn't even make it off the plane before she pulls, and so "Shirley" is left to her own devices. She quickly finds a replacement for her wall - a rock (not called Hudson) and it begins to look like she has merely substituted a beach for her kitchen at home, especially as the other British tourists who try to adopt her turn out to be twits of the highest order! Then she heads out for a stroll where she happens upon a small seaside bar where she meets the suave, moustachioed "Costas" (Tom Conti) and her adventure really begins. This is a very British film, this, I think. The nature of the humour is sarcastic and downbeat - and it is frequently laugh out loud and usually effective. The observational nature of the dialogue - often quite pithily delivered using her inanimate companions - is also enjoyable (and used effectively too by her lonely husband in his bomb-site of a kitchen). Miss Collins got an Oscar nomination for her performance here, and that was well deserved as I left the cinema wondering just how many real middle-aged people come to their senses in their mid-forties and realise that their lives have been lived vicariously and largely passed them by.
kevin20192024-11-01
★ 8/10
"Shirley Valentine" is a hugely entertaining film populated by richly layered and vividly drawn characters and fortunately it successfully manages to completely depart from its small scale theatrical roots to become a genuine motion picture treat. It essentially covers the same basic themes as "Educating Rita" (1983) and it is just as successful at doing this the second time around. The central characters of Rita and Shirley are also interesting. The former was about to become stymied by the very life the latter is already wearily trudging through on a daily basis, but they are both women trapped by the monotonous circumstances of their mundane lives and they desperately want so much more to live for in a world that is rapidly passing them by. They are eager to explore their potential as people after they have solemnly taken stock of their meagre lives so far and asked themselves the important question: "Am I really doing what I want to?" and the conclusion they both reach is much the same as for the vast majority of us: "No, I am not."