CALENDAR GIRLS

UK, 2003, 98 minutes, Colour.
Helen Mirren, Julie Walters, Annette Crosbie, Celia Imrie, Linda Bassett, Penelope Wilton, Ciaran Hinds, John Alderton, Jay Leno, Graham Crowden, John Fortune.
Directed by Nigel Cole.

When they hit the headlines in 1999, the Yorkshire women from the Women's Institute received unexpected publicity for the calendar they produced to raise money for a sofa in the waiting room of the local hospital where the husband of one of the women had died of leukemia. That must seem a long time ago because the headlines were not only local but worldwide. Hollywood came looking and invited them to chat shows and to make commercials - and even to agree to a film about their exploits. Behind the scenes there were difficulties about how they should handle the fame and some breakdowns of long friendships. Here, now is the film version, a blend of the UK and Hollywood with everybody remarking (as I am about to do) that this might be seen as the female version of The Full Monty.

The headlines exaggerated everything, of course. The nude calendar might sound racy, even objectionable, but it was done in fun and the women show very little. It is the humour and the suggestion which make the impact. It is a defence of older women being themselves and a blow against the artificial glamour of commercial photography. It is humour about the body - which does not always go down so well in society which has been strongly influenced by Puritan or Jansenist severity and suspicions of things bodily.

Just as The Full Monty showed out of work men suffering from the social effects of unemployment and did their stripping for a joke, a blend of the humorous with serious social themes, so the Calendar Girls is both funny and serious.

The film shows us Yorkshire village life, the mundane meetings of the Women's Institute, the realities of marriage fidelity and infidelity, families both happy and unhappy, illness and death being persuasively portrayed. When it comes to the calendar, the film moves into cheerful mode (except for the president of the local branch of the WI). It is an unexpectedly huge success. When Hollywood beckons, the film changes gear considerably and the audience is made to feel the exhilaration as well as the over-glitzy exploitation of Los Angeles.

Julie Walters plays the quiet character this time, with Helen Mirren left to do the flamboyant extraversion. There is fine support from several British character actors, Annette Crosbie, Celia Imrie, Linda Bassett and Penelope Wilton. The men don't get much of a look in but are treated sympathetically.

Despite the theme and the hoo-ha, Calendar Girls has its heart in the right place and is a film that you could take most people to - and those you couldn't are perhaps those who ought to see it.

1. Based on a true story? Its celebrity at the time? Adaptation for the screen? The intended audience? UK? World-wide?

2. The British background, the Yorkshire locations, the town, the way of life, accents? International appeal?

3. The background of The Full Monty, also taking place in Yorkshire, the issue of nudity, for a purpose, social concern, human and humane values?

4. The history of the Women's Institute and its traditions? The meetings, the topics, the rituals, the singing of "Jerusalem"? The response of Annie and Chris, their laughter, the listing of the months, the mundane and domestic topics? Marie and her serious chairing of the meetings? Agenda, business? The other members and their presence and attention, laughing, going to sleep during the talks?

5. The town itself, life in the town, homes, work, gardens, the annual fair, school? The huge rock overlooking the town?

6. The tradition of calendars, photos, Marie and her suggestion of topics, the women's agreement?

7. The portrait of Annie and John, a quiet couple, a long marriage, their love for each other? His care for the flowers? The outings? Annie finding him packed and leaving? Giving the information about his illness, going to the hospital, the treatment, the chemotherapy and its not working, his going bald, the outings with Annie and Chris and Rod? His speech about the sunflowers and their mellowing, going to seed? The pathos of his death, funeral? The sunflower on his coffin? Annie, her memories, love for him, the visits with Chris, the effect of the death on her? The settee and its hardness, their decision to do something about it for the relatives?

8. The contrast with Chris, lively, laughter, her relationship with her son, her husband, his work? The antagonism towards Marie and the accusation that she always got things wrong? The fair, knowing that Annie was preoccupied, the cake competition, buying it from Marks & Spencer, the irony of her winning, the prize, the special ribbon? Her speech, the women laughing, the cover-up? Her being congratulated at the meeting?

9. The idea of the calendar, the magazines under Jim's bed, her looking at them, kissing him? The sexy calendar at the garage and her borrowing it? Jim, his concern, his sex talk with his friend on the bus and on the rock, the girls at school, their giggling, his worry about his mother being lesbian?

10. Discussing the idea with Annie, initial reactions, prudence, prudishness? The discussions with Jessie, with the pianist at the café, with Celia, with Ruth? Ruth and her reluctance? Their going to Chris's home, the discussion, her giving an example - just as Jim arrives with his friend?

11. The further discussions with the other women, the discussion about nudity, photos, art, pornography? The interviews after they advertised for the photographer? The humorous group of photographers and their interest in vegetables etc? The photographer friend of John from the hospital, their discussions, their anxiety, his sketches, ordinary life but with nude characters? The difference between naked and nude? The women's worry, inviting him back, apologising for their behaviour?

12. The aim of the calendar, the money, the memory of John, getting the sofa? Marie and her dominance at the meeting, her demands that Chris explain everything? Her going to London to the national conference, the discussions with the president, Chris and Annie going to London, being allowed in, the attitude of the president and her prissiness, authoritarian? Annie and the awkwardness of her speech, Chris taking over, the strong discussion about the mundane interests and narrow vision of the Women's Institute? Their talking with Marie, a local matter for decision, Marie giving in?

13. The plans for the calendar, the design? The photography session, the women and their anxiety, at their occupations, in the café and the woman talking with her daughter, Celia at golf, Jessie and her being in the garden, her husband watching? The phone calls for the bras to come off two hours in advance? Their going to the house, the cards and who would go first, Celia, her feeling awkward, the photographer setting everything up, going out of the room, the women ready to take the photo? The desperation, calling him back in, the poses, the details of each of the month, the women and their posing - the humour, the modesty? Trying to get the sponsors, the refusals, the acceptances? Sending out the press releases? Going to London, Annie and Chris returning, no-one in the conference room, going to the ballroom, the packed media, the interviews? The amount of letters coming to Annie, the effect on her, the different women reading the letters and the encouragement from the correspondence? Encouraged by the calendar, its pathos, its humour? The newspapers, the television?

14. The effect on Annie, establishing the foundation?

15. The effect on Chris, being on the television, the journalists outside her house? Rod, his feeling distanced, at work, the reporter leading him on, the discussion about sexual relationships, the photo - and the irony that he was a journalist from The News of the World, the article and Chris seeing it and her being upset? Jim, trying out the drugs, the irony that it was oregano? At the police station, Rod and Chris going down, the autographs for the policemen? Annie persuading Chris not to go to Los Angeles and to be with her son?

16. The invitation to go to Hollywood, Chris and her not going, Annie's role of leadership, the airport, their being upgraded, the reception in Hollywood, the limousine, the splashy Hollywood style? The hotel, Annie overwhelmed by her room, the baths? The interviews, the poses, the black dresses? Going on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, the humour and triteness of his interview? Chris's arrival, the tension between herself and Annie? Annie not watching the television program? The advertisement, hanging the washing on the line, their arrival in the dressing gowns, Annie leaving, searching for the dressing room in the Hollywood streets? The discussion with Chris, Chris bewildered?

17. The return, Annie asleep, Chris and her care? Meeting the women, the embraces, going to the meeting? Rod waiting, Chris's apology? His wise advice that they were friends and that would break the tension?

18. The other women, Jessie and her husband, the journalists and her being on the walk with the dog, leading them to Chris's house? The pianist, her daughter, mixed race, getting her daughter's permission? Celia, her wealth, her concern about her figure, playing golf, going first with the photo? Ruth and her story, her devotion to her husband, his always going away, his pretence of love? The irony of her phone call, finding out the truth, going to the hotel, confronting the woman, his having told her that he was a widower? The clash, his leaving, it giving her the courage to go for her photo session, going to Los Angeles and enjoying it? The other women who volunteered for the photos, their photo shot? Not going to Hollywood?

19. The calendar and its success, in England, the bookshops, the notoriety, in the United States? Themes of women, feminism, the significance of the human body, puritanical attitudes, freer attitudes, ordinary attitudes, the fact that anything human can be the subject of humour and jokes?