Shirley Valentine

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.

For all of you middle-aged men and women who wonder just who you are, and where you're going; this is the movie for you!! What an insight to the real human spirit!! I've watched this several times and never fail to shed a tear over how I spent my life. This is a MUST DO for any adult struggling to make it. ( Bring a hankie) This is for men also!! The director has touched on the basic human emotion; who are we, why are we here, and most of all; what happened to "ME"? This movie has addressed so many questions that we all have, being caught up in the every day life, but always wondering-----"what if"? What a release for us to see that some times a person will follow their dreams! The message here is---Be true to yourself!!

Pauline Collins is my hero. So is Shirley Valentine. They really are. I'm not kidding you. And I am man. This movie speaks to me, even so.

We all have dreams that have not been realized. We all need Shirley's courage to do as much as we can to live these dreams before we go off to the other place.

This movie taught me about life. It's not too late to be happy, to be in love, to smile every day and mean it. No matter what age you are.

Conti is charming and it is a shame we don't see him much anymore. He offers us a type of romantic hero we will never find in a Tom, Hanks or Cruise...too bad.

Joanna Lumley brings a special charm to her meeting with Shirley. Julia Mackenzie is especially good as her annoying friend.

Willy Russell cooked up a wonderful script from the wonderful play. Lewis Gilbert put it all together and worked hard to make us smile.

If you don't fall in love with this movie, you'll need a swift kick. Don't look at me. You'll have to give it to yourself. That's the magic and wonder of Shirley Valentine. She taught me how to kick myself into living!

Thank you, Shirley. Thank you, Pauline, Bill, Willy and Lewis.

Pauline Collins is a 42-year-old Liverpudlian housewife who talks to the walls. One day she gives husband Bernard Hill's Thursday steak to the hound of the snooty lady across the street; she has been keeping it on a vegetarian diet. Hill explodes when she gives him fish and chips; that's Tuesday's meal. Her friend Alison Steadman wins a trip for two to Greece, takes Miss Collins along and abandons her to her own devices. She has no issue with that. She enjoys Greek food, drinks retsina and has an affair with tavern owner Tom Conti.

In her second movie role -- she had played a stripper in an exploitation film in 1966 -- Miss Collins recreates her Tony-winning role in the stage's one-hander. Given the bareness of the actual stage production, there is a shift of tone, from fantasy to anomie, and the other characters are given little depth, Miss Collins seems to be the character she plays in this gender-switching variation on ZORBA THE GREEK. If it also seems reminiscent of EDUCATING RITA, that's because Willy Russell wrote both plays, produced their transfers to the screen under the same director, Lewis Gilbert. Miss Collins is, as you might guess from the above, wonderful.

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.