DVD Review
by Kevin Carr
| MOVIE: **** (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: *** (out of 5 stars) STARRING Helen Mirren as CHRIS Julie Walters as ANNIE Linda Bassett as CORA Annette Crosbie as JESSIE Celia Imrie as CELIA Penelope Wilton as RUTH John Alderton as JOHN Rated PG-13 Studio: Touchstone Pictures Directed by: Nigel Cole Back to DVD Review Home |
 |
“Calendar Girls” opens up innocently enough, showing the audience how dull a typical W.I. (Woman’s Institute) meeting can be on the English countryside. The monthly speakers talk about such scintillating topics as the milking industry, rugs and broccoli. Chris (Helen Mirren) and Annie (Julie Walters) are best friends in the W.I. and long to bring some excitement to the organization.
Tragically, Annie’s husband John (John Alderton) is diagnosed with leukemia and passes away from the disease. Chris wants to help raise money to donate a sofa in John’s name for the relative’s room in the hospital. Since it is time to plan for the annual W.I. calendar, Chris pitches the idea of doing an artful nude calendar featuring the women of the W.I. When they manage to strip for the cameras and sell the calendar, they find sudden fame.
For many of us, the last thing we really want to see is a bunch of old ladies with their shirts off. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m a big fan of seeing a little skin in a movie, but I’d much rather see it from the cast of “Orange County” than I would the cast of “The Golden Girls.”
But the really neat thing about “Calendar Girls” is that you find yourself wanting to see the pictures of the women - not for arousal or even for curiosity, but to support the real women behind it. “Calendar Girls” is inspired by a true story, which makes the film all that more heartwarming and worthwhile. John Baker was a real man that died of leukemia, and his wife did convince several of her W.I. compatriots to shed their clothes for a nude calendar.
Once you get past the idea of the film - i.e., old ladies taking off their clothes - you’re left with a sweet story of women finding a unique route to empower themselves. The writing is clever and witty. The film tends to dwell a little too much on the impact the calendar has on Chris’s son (John-Paul Macleod) and husband (Ciarán Hinds), but these scenes are fleeting and easy to get past.
I missed this selection while it was out in the theaters, although I heard that my grandmother saw it and loved it. It’s odd subject matter for such a recommendation, which made me very curious to check it out. I’m glad I did.
Included in the DVD is a documentary called “The Naked Truth,” which explains the history behind the real calendar and the women involved. It is a smartly directed piece which gives a nice comparison of the original calendar and the Hollywood version (and you’d be surprised at the similarities).
The other featurette on the disc is “Creating the Calendar,” which takes the viewer through the process of making the calendar for the film. This is a cute little piece that also focuses on the insecurities of the actresses as they posed nude. After all, only Helen Mirren (who still looks good for her age) has a history of nude scenes, and the rest were understandably nervous.
Learning about the original calendar and knowing what a good cause it was for makes me want to go out and get a copy. The original calendar girls are planning a new venture in 2004, which could bring them to their goal of raising £1 million. To date, they have raised £500,000 (which is approximately equivalent to $900,000 million in American dollars).
There are four deleted scenes, and upon viewing it is understandable why they were cut. The one that did stand out, though, is an extended version of the girls meeting with the band Anthrax. While this scene would have been overkill in the film itself, it is still a fun scene to view as an extra feature.
“Calendar Girls” has been compared (sometimes unfairly, in my opinion) to “The Full Monty” - mainly because it’s about older folks in England who show some skin. But “Calendar Girls” actually tackles vastly different themes. While “The Full Monty” used stripping as a means for some down-on-their-luck steel workers to regain their self-confidence and a little cash, the nude calendar in “Calendar Girls” brings respect back to these women. What’s more, the cause is different, less self-centered and more noble. These women didn’t just take their clothes off to make themselves feel better or to make a quick buck. They did this to help a friend, keep the memory of another alive and fight a deadly disease.
Who wouldn’t take their clothes off for that?
Specifications: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. Widescreen (2.35:1), enhanced for 16x9 televisions. French language track; Spanish subtitles; English language subtitles for the hearing impaired.
