Shirley Valentine
Walters & Caine
Directed by	Lewis Gilbert
Produced by	Lewis Gilbert
Written by	Willy Russell (also play)
Starring	Pauline Collins Tom Conti
Music by	Marvin Hamlisch
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Released	October 30, 1989 US release
Running time	108 min
Language	English
IMDb profile

Shirley Valentine is a play by Willy Russell, first staged in 1986. It is a one-woman show, narrated by the title character; it appeared in the West End in 1988. Image File history File links Shirley_Valentine_movie_poster. ... Lewis Gilbert (born March 6, 1920) is a British film director born in London, England. ... William Martin Russell (born 23 August 1947) is a British playwright, lyricist and composer. ... Pauline Collins (born September 3, 1940) is a British actress working extensively in movies and television. ... Tom Conti (born November 22, 1941) is a Scottish actor. ... Marvin Hamlisch (born June 2, 1944) is a successful composer of film scores. ... The Paramount Pictures logo used since 2003. ... October 30 is the 303rd day of the year (304th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 62 days remaining. ... // Events Actress Kim Basinger and her brother Mick purchase Braselton, Georgia for $20 million. ... William Martin Russell (born 23 August 1947) is a British playwright, lyricist and composer. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... // West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre in London, or sometimes more specifically for shows staged in the large theatres of Londons Theatreland . Along with New Yorks Broadway Theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of theatre in the... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Russell adapted the script into the screenplay for the 1989 film of the same name which starred Pauline Collins in the title role. William Martin Russell (born 23 August 1947) is a British playwright, lyricist and composer. ... A screenplay or script is a blueprint for producing a motion picture. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Film refers to the celluloid media on which movies are printed. ... Pauline Collins (born September 3, 1940) is a British actress working extensively in movies and television. ...

Film synopsis

Shirley is an ordinary housewife in Liverpool, northern England. Now married to Joe Bradshaw, and with adult children, she realises that her life has become one of routine, thanks largely to the expectations placed on her by her family. She resolves to break with the monotony by fulfilling a dream of flying to Greece for a vacation. Leaving her husband a note to explain where she has gone, and a large number of frozen meals, she takes off.

In Greece she has a holiday romance with a local restaurant owner, named Costas, and feels freedom. She stays on in Greece after the end of the vacation, not for him (he has already moved on to a new romance) but for the life. She finds her home-cooking skills in demand by the British tourists. Joe goes to Greece to talk to her and that's where the film ends.

External links

• WillyRussell.com — the author's official website
• Shirley Valentine — specific page on WillyRussell.com