Shirley Valentine

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!!

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"

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.

It's been my dream since childhood, since I read for the first time the immortal ancient myths and legends; Greece where the sea is so blue that Aphrodite could be born only from its foam and the sun so gold that it makes the whole country glow with the eternal forever young smile, Greece that the Gods chose as their residence. I always wanted to go but the film "Shirley Valentine" (1989) directed by Lewis Gilbert and written by Willy Russell (also play) with Pauline Collins has added to my desire to see the magic country.

Pauline Collins reprises her Broadway's role as the hilariously charming and unpredictable 45 (or so) year old Liverpool housewife Shirley Valentine – Bradshaw whose life is the humorist Sam Levinson's lament: "When I was a kid, they told me to do what my parents wanted. When I became a parent, they told me to do what my kids wanted. When do I get to do what I want?" until one day she proves to herself that it is never too late to try to make your dream come true. When a friend wins the paid trip to Greece for two, Shirley joins her and finds that Greece is her dream because she always wanted to see the sunset over a blue sea. She says yes to the romance with a handsome Costas Caldes (Tom Conti) who likes her in spite her extra weight, saggy boobs and the stretch marks. She began to like herself, too. Sounds like your typical sloppy romantic comedy, ah? Wait until you see it. This is a wonderful and delightful film - clever, witty, funny, and thought-provoking. And to Roger Ebert goes my question "what is wrong with you, man?!"

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.