Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #620 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-11-08
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Full Screen, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 104 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Pauline Collins repeats her stage success as the character Shirley Valentine, a married woman who decides in her middle years that she wants more out of life. Leaving her spouse behind, she heads to Greece, where she grows close to a low-key local bloke (Tom Conti). Collins and director Lewis Gilbert (Educating Rita) choose to let the character, as she did in the play, speak directly to the audience at times and the gamble works in terms of creating a gentle, intimate atmosphere. Conti is a bonus, a warm presence and funny to boot. --Tom Keogh

Synopsis
An unpredictable, wisecracking, bored English housewife accepts an invitation from a friend to a vacation in Greece and rediscovers her zest for life and love.

Customer Reviews

Escape from the reality of midlife...redefine it !!!
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.

Excellent
An excellent transfer from the stage to the screen - apparently they wanted Cher to take the lead - thank God they stuck with the star that it was intended for.
This is a first class feel good movie that we can all relate to - do you have the courage to make a change in your life? Be like Shirley!
I agree that the DVD version is poor technically but for older films with less likelihood of shifting large volume they aren't likely to make much of an effort - bat that's capitalism for you. I still love this and it's on my pile of DVDs that are earmarked for watching whilst doing the ironing - my seal of approval for repeat viewing quality!!!

First class film, totally ruined.
A great film, but ruined as the print has been hacked and altered to appeal more to US television viewers. Buyers should be made aware of this before they purchase that this is NOT the original version as shown in the cinema.
A VHS format bought from a car boot sale on a damp Sunday morning would be a better purchase.