An empowering story that you should mark your you-know-what for.
Calendar Girls (2003)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:117
Fresh:87
Rotten:30
Average Rating:6.5/10
Consensus: A charming, but cliched comedy reminiscent of The Full Monty.
Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for nudity, some language and drug-related material
Runtime: 1 hr 48 mins
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:Dec 19, 2003 Limited
Box Office: $30,937,521
Synopsis: Based on a true story, Nigel Cole's CALENDAR GIRLS has a mix of comedy and heart-tugging emotion that compares with British comedies FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL and THE FULL MONTY. Annie (Julie... Based on a true story, Nigel Cole's CALENDAR GIRLS has a mix of comedy and heart-tugging emotion that compares with British comedies FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL and THE FULL MONTY. Annie (Julie Walters) and Chris (Helen Mirren), of bucolic Yorkshire, belong to the Women's Institute (WI), which preserves traditional homemaking practices. While they're just as dedicated as the other ladies in the group, Annie and Chris are adventurous personalities, and they poke fun at the WI's tedious lectures on broccoli and fabrics. In an effort to raise money for the local hospital while also spicing things up at the WI, the ladies decide to put a new spin on the WI calendar, which usually depicts landscapes or churches. The women will pose nude for the calendar while performing traditional activities like baking and gardening. It's no surprise that the finished calendar is a wild success, bringing the ladies instant notoriety and adoration. Stellar talent carries the story, especially from glorious Mirren, who portrays yet another daring female character, as she did in past films like THE COOK, THE THIEF, HIS WIFE, AND HER LOVER. Staying true to the real-life story, the film closely matches the original calendar photos, and provides a funny, touching, uplifting tale. [More]
Starring: Helen Mirren, Julie Waters, John Alderton, Linda Bassett
Starring: Helen Mirren, Julie Waters, John Alderton, Linda Bassett, Annette Crosbie, Philip Glenister, Ciaran Hinds, Geraldine James, Penelope Wilton, Celia Imrie
Director: Nigel Cole
Director: Nigel Cole
Screenwriter: Tim Firth, Juliette Towhidi
Producer: Suzanne Mackie, Nick Barton
Composer: Patrick Doyle
Studio: Touchstone Pictures
Get This Movie
Rent DVD
Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.
Buy DVD
Release:
May 4, 2004
Reviews for Calendar Girls
Amiable enough as a frothy entertainment, with darker overtones rendered with emotional effectiveness.
Calendar Girls remains true to the spirit of the engaging, real-life story which captured the attention of many around the world.
Director Nigel Cole’s success is due largely to his casting Helen Mirren and Julie Walters against type.
Mirren and company charm their way through this year's feel-good British entry.
Though the last act is formulaic (...) this film has everything we have come to expect from a British feel-good comedy.
Its title characters and tidy setting guarantee a cozy time ... basking in the kind of dear, dotty glow that has permeated such hit Britcoms as The Full Monty .
It reels us in because it is about people who for so long have paid lip service to making a difference that they are profoundly altered when they actually do.
It's funny, inspirational, and entertaining - there's never been a more empowering 'girlie' calendar .
Calendar Girls benefits immeasurably from a talented, agreeable cast who manage to elicit far more chuckles than the thin setup would seemingly allow.
Calendar Girls... [is] a special gift for those folks of a certain age who complain there’s never anything for them at the movies anymore. This one’s for you.
It's lovely and entertaining, the type of British film which makes you wonder why the simplicity of the human condition continually evades the grasp of Hollywood.
An engaging, light character comedy, played somewhere between the Ealing tradition and contempo regional comedy.
'Calendar Girls' offers laughs, maybe a tear or two and lots of heart.
Latest News for Calendar Girls
May 20, 2009:
Cannes 2009: RT Interview - Sally Hawkins on We Want Sex
The Golden Globe seems to have done Sally Hawkins well. After winning the award for her part in Mike Leigh's hilarious Happy-Go-Lucky, having her name attached to any project... More...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 95% 95% | Star Trek |
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 86% 86% | A Christmas Tale |
| 60% 60% | Paper Heart |
RT On Current TV
DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
CloseSponsored Links
Around The Network
- Calendar Girls at Rotten Tomatoes
- Calendar Girls at IGN
- Calendar Girls at AskMen
Fresh Links
Featured

MSN Movies offers a little background on the success of Disney Animation.

TIME takes a look back at the history of vampires on film.

Techland examines the visual splendor of Peter Jackson's upcoming film.

AOL put together a list of 10 recent news items that would be perfect as TV Movies.

Hollywood.com's C. Robert Cargill explores how remakes and reboots have warped our thinking.
Promos

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!



Top Critic


