Shirley Valentine

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.

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.

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.

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.