1 / 8
MONEY
Did you know
Made its money back 9.7× over at the box office.
MoodPlayr · trivia#01
Calendar Girls
"Some ladies will do anything for a good cause."
2003 1h 48m EN
👍
6.5
SOLID
★6.5TMDB · 420
DramaComedy
Synopsis
Spoiler shield
Members of a Yorkshire branch of the Women's Institute cause controversy when they pose nude for a charity calendar.
“Some ladies will do anything for a good cause.”
Cast
Helen Mirren
Chris Harper
Julie Walters
Annie Clarke
John Alderton
John Clarke
Linda Bassett
Cora
Annette Crosbie
Jessie
Philip Glenister
Lawrence Sertain
Ciarán Hinds
Rod Harper
Celia Imrie
Celia
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- Nigel Cole
- Writers
- Tim Firth, Juliette Towhidi
- Languages
- English
- Countries
- United Kingdom
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 🍿
2 / 8
ERA
Did you know
Released 23 years ago.
MoodPlayr · trivia#02
3 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Directed by Nigel Cole, shot by Ashley Rowe. 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 Patrick Doyle. 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 Michael Parker 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
Helen Mirren and Julie Walters and John Alderton carry the top of the cast.
MoodPlayr · trivia#06
7 / 8
FACT
Did you know
Marketing tagline: "Some ladies will do anything for a good cause.".
MoodPlayr · trivia#07
8 / 8
WILD
Did you know
IMDB entry: tt0337909 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
MoodPlayr · trivia#08
Cinephile deep dive
The take
Nigel Cole directs. Ashley Rowe behind the camera. Patrick Doyle scores. Michael Parker cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 1Made its money back 9.7× over at the box office.
- 2Released 23 years ago.
- 3Directed by Nigel Cole, shot by Ashley Rowe. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
- 4Original score by Patrick Doyle. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
- 5Editor Michael Parker shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
- 6Helen Mirren and Julie Walters and John Alderton carry the top of the cast.
- 7Marketing tagline: "Some ladies will do anything for a good cause.".
- 8IMDB entry: tt0337909 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
The technical file
- Cinematography
- Ashley Rowe
- Original score
- Patrick Doyle
- Editing
- Michael Parker
- Production design
- Martin Childs
- Costume design
- Frances Tempest
- Makeup / hair
- Christina Baker
- VFX supervisor
- Richard Stammers
- Sound
- Tim Cavagin
- Runtime
- 108 min · 1h 48m
- Aspect ratio (typical)
- 1.37:1 (Academy)
- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $10,000,000
- Box office
- $96,542,059
- Return
- 965% of budget
- Original language
- EN
- Certification (US)
- PG-13
Also by
Nigel Cole
Stills · wallpapers
Selected frames
Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.
Trailers & featurettes
Watch the pieces
Community reviews
What people are saying
- John Chard★ 7/10
It's not naked it's nude. When Annie Clarke's beloved husband succumbs to leukaemia, her best friend Chris comes up with a unique idea for raising funds for the hospital that cared for the dearly departed John. They, and fellow members of the Knapely Womens Institute, will pose in some strategically nude pictures and sell them as a calendar! Based on a true story, and following on from the roaring success of 1997s The Full Monty, it was a story just begging to be adapted for the big screen. Also boasting a shot in the arm for actresses of a certain age, who sadly are bereft of decent cinematic parts, Calendar Girls may not be a masterpiece of homely cinema values, but it certainly warms the cockles and hits an entertaining spot in spite of the laborious last third. The cast are uniformly excellent, Julie Walters, Helen Mirren (gorgeous), Linda Basset, Annette Crosbie and Geraldine James are particularly memorable in telling this tale of a close-knit village quite unsure on how to deal with a touchy subject. From there the press sensationalism arrives and this shifts the girls (and sadly the film) to another plane. The picture manages to be that rare old thing of a comedy drama actually impacting heavy on both fronts. The comedy moments are joyous and flow frequently for the first two thirds of the picture, whilst the touching drama, of what is a serious subject at its core after all, really touches a nerve. Sadly as we enter the final third, the makers tag on an unnecessary dissection of friendships and relationships, and it nearly costs the film dear. It does survive, mainly due to the wonderful cast and the integrity laden point of view, making it a film that once viewed is clearly not going to be forgotten. So in the main we should all hail those wonderful Calendar Girls. 7/10
- Peter McGinn★ 9/10
Another one of those movies I watched decades ago and recently revisited. I enjoyed it just as much as I did the first time. It reminds me of Waking Ned Devine in a way. It contains witty and realistic dialogue and a good percentage of the actors are older. There is a bit more drama in Calendar Girls, but it never submerges into melodrama. I am glad I watched it a second time. It has aged well and is a classic feel old movie.
- Peter McGinn★ 9/10
Another one of those movies I watched back when it came out and recently watched again. Like the women who pose for the calendar, the movie has aged well. My wife and I watch a lot of British tv (for Americans) so we have seen the actresses in many other excellent performances. Calendar a Girls reminds me of another great movie, (Waking) Ned Devine. There is humor, a feel good plot, and a fine ensemble cast. There are a perhaps a couple of more serious subplots in this film, such as Alderton’s character’s illness that gives birth to the calendar fundraiser. The movie is of course based on an actual fundraising calendar undertaken from women aged 45-65. I didn’t research it to see how accurate the plot is as I do in some reality based films, because I just watched it for is entertainment value. So should you.
Production companies
Who made it
- HA
Harbour Pictures
GB
Key crew
- EditorMichael Parker
- ProducerNick Barton
- ProducerSuzanne Mackie
- Genetator OperatorStefan Lissner
- First Assistant AccountantAllen Wong
- Unit PublicistPatric Scott
- Assistant AccountantIsaac Sananes
- Production AssistantBilly Samoa Saleebey
- Assistant Production CoordinatorErin Sahlstrom
- Production AssistantAbbe Robinson
- Production ExecutiveJason Reed
- Production AccountantPatrick Isherwood
- Production AssistantChristopher Hutchins
- Assistant Production CoordinatorPolly Hope
- Assistant AccountantPolly Fletcher
- Production AccountantDawn Darfus
- Assistant EditorPaisley Pappé-Iredell
- Co-ProducerSteve Clark-Hall
- CastingGail Stevens
- Production DesignMartin Childs
- Art DirectionMark Raggett
- Costume DesignFrances Tempest
- Hair DesignerChristina Baker
- Makeup DesignerChristina Baker
Themes & keywords
What it's about, really
- northern england
- england
- mannequin
- based on true story
- leukemia
- calendar
- yorkshire
Release history · US
When it landed
- Theatrical2003-12-19PG-13
Also known as
International titles
- Las chicas del calendarioES
- 辣嬤寫真TW
- Chicas de calendarioAR
- KalenderpikeneNO
- カレンダー・ガールズJP
