September 21, 2003
Nude but not Rude
Yesterday, Mrs H and I had the opportunity to go to the cinema, while Aidie spent the day with Nana. The last film was saw on a day alone wasn't that good, but this time we picked a winner. It won't be released in the US until December, but Calendar Girls is already being tipped for Oscar nominations.
It somewhat fictionalizes the story of the Rylstone and District Women's Institute fundraising calendar. The decided to do a calendar to raise funds to fight leukaemia, in response to death of the husband of one of their members. A nude calendar. (In the film the focus is initially on raising money to purchase a sofa for the visitors' waiting room at the local hospital.)
It features some of the outstanding British actresses over the age of 50, and stars Dame Helen Mirren and Julie Walters. The performances were outstanding. In a cinema also filled with mostly over-50's (and of them, mostly over-60's) Mrs H and I laughed and cried. Especially cried.
The film does contain nudity - most of it covered by things you'd expect to see in a WI calendar, such as baked good, jam jars, a piano, greenhouse plants, and a cider press - just like in the actual calendar. It will carry a PG-13 rating in the US (it's a 12A in the UK). I just say this to warn those who might find the sight of naked OAPs too much to bare -- er, bear.
I hope those of you in the UK will go out and see the film in cinemas now and those of you in the US will remember this review when you are choosing among the Christmas releases. It will be for a good cause, at least in part. All of the WI ladies who sold their stories for the film are donating all of their royalties to charity.