neumu [ cinematronic ]




	Calendar Girls
	Nigel Cole Helen Mirren, Julie Waters, John Alderton, Linda Bassett, Annette Crosbie, Philip Glenister, Ciarán Hinds, Celia Imrie, Geraldine James, Penelope Wilton 2003		At first glance (the trailer, perhaps), "Calendar Girls" comes off as a crass revision of the boisterous, internationally successful social comedy "The Full Monty," with pleasantly unglamorous females disrobing instead of decidedly un-buff regular guys. That's not too far from accurate. But "Calendar Girls" is inoffensive, good-natured fluff, based on a true story about a group of proper middle-aged housewives from the sticks of Northern England. The gals cause a ruckus by deciding to pose for a "tasteful" nude calendar that will raise money for the cancer wing of a local hospital. It wouldn't be a surprise to learn that "The Full Monty" inspired the real calendar girls. In any case, the movie — somewhat fictionalized, of course — is elevated by the presence of Helen Mirren and Julie Waters as the ringleaders of the calendar project. The amateur models are all members of the Women's Institute, a proper, homebody-oriented organization concerned with the making of jam, the arranging of flowers and the baking of cakes. Predictably, the leader of the local W.I. branch is opposed to the calendar (conflict!), and the families of the calendar participants are stunned (complication!) by the boldness of these ready-to-strip wives and mothers.