Review of Shirley Valentine (1989) by Joy G — 18 Aug 2007

[FONT=Arial][SIZE=5][COLOR=Navy].

Shirley Valentine (Pauline Collins) speaks directly to the camera, or to the wall. But she rarely speaks to her husband or her childdren, because they're not the least interested in what she has to say.

"I've led such a little life. And even that will be over soon. I have allowed myself to lead this little life, when inside me there was so much more. And it's all gone unused. And now it never will be. Why do we get all this life if we don't ever use it?".

So many middle-aged women feel this way! America and England are rarely friendly places for women to grow older in. Most American men look right through older women (even attractive ones) as if they didn't exist. What a delight it is, then, to suddenly be seen! To have a man (in Greece or Italy or Oregon) look at you and see a beautiful woman! It makes your world come alive again.

That's how it is for Shirley Valentine when her single woman friend wins a trip for two to Greece and persuades Shirley to abandon her husband Joe for two weeks?even though we're all pretty sure he doesn't know how to fry an egg.

Shirley muses: "We don't do what we want to do, do we? We do what we have to do and pretend it's what we want to do.".

So this movie is about one fairly attractive fortyish woman who finds herself by daring to do what she wants to do. It is a sweet victory!