Finding a film that both my parents and I like is very difficult indeed. ‘Polar opposites’ is not a strong enough term for the gulf in our tastes when it comes to cinema, or indeed most things in life. Any film that fills this gulf needs to have an extremely broad appeal. So when I suggested that we watch Calendar Girls on a rainy Sunday afternoon on their last visit, I wasn’t expecting the unanimously positive response that I ended up with.
The initial problem with this story is that it occurred in very recent memory and was so newsworthy that a lot of people know the detail of the plot. This potential problem was countered by bringing in some real heavyweights (in thespian terms) of British acting: Julie Walters, Helen Mirren, Annette Crosbie and John Alderton to name but a few. The depth that they bring to their characters and the interaction between them is what makes this film such a success.
For anyone not yet familiar, the story centres on the small Yorkshire village of Rylstone, and more specifically the members of the local Womens Institute (WI). The WI has a reputation for being a middle-class and old-fashioned organisation and that is how it is initially portrayed here. The two central characters, Chris (Helen Mirren) and Annie (Julie Walters) have a bit of a rebellious streak and find amusement in the sheer tediousness of the monthly WI guest speeches and the prize days at the village fete.
Tragedy strikes when Annie’s husband (a sadly under-used John Alderton) dies of leukaemia. Annie wants something to commemorate his life and remembering the lumpy sofa that she had spent so many hours on in the local hospital, decides to raise money for a replacement. The question is, how to raise the money?
A girlie calendar catches Chris’ eye in a garage and gives her the idea to use the WI members to create their own version.
Getting WI approval is not easy but after a heartfelt plea at the National Annual meeting, approval is granted. What follows is a great passage of comedy in the recruiting of the models, the hiring of the photographer and the shooting and production of the calendar. The characters really get across the sense of camaraderie, the losing of inhibitions for a greater cause and the sheer shock and disbelief when the calendar is hugely successful.
Chris gets slightly intoxicated by the publicity and fame it brings them, especially when the group are invited over to America to publicise it. This upsets Annie as she sees Chris losing sight of the reason behind their project and that she is neglecting her husband and son, and would herself give “everything up for one more hour with my John.” The argument that ensues is one of the more poignant moments of the film. This brings Chris a reality check and after their homecoming the girls return to the fold of the WI and a slice of normality, safe in the knowledge that they have raised over £500,000 for Leukaemia research.
This genre of film is one that the Brit’s excel at. Very much in the mould of ‘Four Weddings’, ‘The Full Monty’, and ‘Notting Hill’ it’s a gentler brand of humour, possibly as a result of the gravity of the subject matter. I feel that criticisms that it gives a false impression of English life are unfounded. Certainly some small rural communities like this do still exist. In addition it is based on fact and it is meant to be entertainment, not a documentary. Bear this in mind and I feel that, whatever your normal taste in films, you will enjoy this film immensely.