Shirley Valentine - Auf Wiedersehen, mein lieber Mann

Shirley had lost herself in the humdrum lifestyle of a housewife with kids grown and an indifferent husband stuck in his own boring routine. She strikes out on a vacation to Greece to get in touch with the girl she once was. The show worked better as a theatre piece - as a one woman show. Here it gets cluttered up with a lot of characters and Shirley's asides to the camera do not always work. Pauline Collins is as great in the role as she was on stage. Greek men seeing this must cringe at the Tom Conte caricature of a Greek lover. I rated it an 8 for Pauline's performance and the music.

I'm not the target audience for this film. I prefer gunfire, heroics, romance and laughs. "Shirley Valentine" has only the last element, but it's a kind of endearing film. It lets us dudes look at what your mother's or aunt's life might be like at some point. That's kind of the appeal; see how the other half lives, so to speak.

That, and it's a nice little film that doesn't take itself too seriously. Yeah, there're a lot of clichés here, but I think there's a unique enough twist in them to let viewers enjoy the film for what it is. I mean, it ain't "Quo Vadis". Heck, it ain't even "Porky's" (thank goodness). It ain't the "Godfather", "Giant" nor anything else. It's a nice little tribute to that person who took care of you when you were younger.

Remember her? Good. Because that person deserved a film, and this is it. Yeah, it's a bit over the top and smarmy, but what the heck.

I just recommended this movie to a friend who's having her mid-life crisis. Just like Shirley, she can't stop taking care of other people at her own expense. Everyone who reviews this film focuses on its heart-warming qualities, making it sound like Pollyanna. The reality of Shirley Valentine is that it's very grounded in reality. Every moment of the film is fraught with ambiguity, moral and emotional. Shirley's trip to Greece and subsequent adventures are not Hallmark moments. She realizes quite clearly that her fantasies are superimposed on the necessities of reality. She doesn't marry a tycoon: she gets a waitress job. She realizes from the get-go that her relationship with Costas is a good-natured fraud. The ending of the movie doesn't answer any questions except "How does Shirley feel right at this moment in time?" This is not a film about escaping to a fantasy. It's about finding a reality that works for who you really are. Every human being on earth who's dissatisfied with their life should watch this film.

in Shirley valentine recently brought out on DVD some of the words said by Shirley have been dubbed over. this spoils the original concept of the film. can anyone explain why this has been done.The film however is still great viewing. My wife knows the words to the film and was surprised that words had been taken out and replaced which seem totally unnecessary. We could only think that it may be for a younger viewing audience or perhaps for the purpose of sale in other countries. In conclusion still a really great film with fantastic views of Greece. I'm sure the film has been made many girls think that they too would like to be shirley.

Every woman - and man for that matter - experiencing or approaching their 40s-50s midlife and/or who suspects they are living a stuck-in-a-rut lifestyle ought to be required to see this movie ASAP!! A rare gem that is simultaneously interesting, hilarious AND potentially life-changing! Plus a true feminist statement that is never obnoxious. I wonder how many marriages have been rescued by this film - although some may have been ended by it too. Beats the heck out of most books on the subject. Timeless.

"He needs to feel the sun on his skin and swim in water that is as deep as forever"