year 5 day 96

movie: Shirley Valentine
starring: Pauline Collins, Tom Conti
genre:Drama, Comedy,
year:1989
format: Hollywood Suites Channel

plot: When a tired housewife decides she needs a vacation, she realizes she no longer even knows who she is.

Based on the stage play.

The lead character, opens the story by talking to the wall. Which I love. "hello wall."  She then begins to catch up the viewers with how she got to the point of talking to the wall. From the moment she stopped liking school to the early days of her marriage to the decision to go on a holiday.
At this point in the story, she still feels small, unnoticed and wondering how she got to that point in her life? Which, all middle aged women I'm sure go through at some point. The choice to go on holiday isn't even her's to begin with, much like every other decision she seems to find herself in up to that point; is pushed on her by someone else. In this case, her so called best friend wins a trip for two and drags her along. While Shirley is getting everything in order for the trip, she bumps into someone from school she hasn't seen in twenty years, and discovers her life is more secure then her friend's. Both realize they envied the other growing up. This itself becomes a bit of a theme as one of the neighbours admits she wishes she had more guts to do things the way Shirley does.

Once she arrives at the hotel she finds herself dumped by the friend who planned the trip and realizes she'd rather be alone anyways. Which then becomes the theme for the rest of the movie. Pushing away from the crowds to have that moment to yourself. As Shirley realizes that she was always surrounded by others back home but felt very lonely, where as she's by herself on vacation but not the slightest bit lonely anymore. 

One of my all time favourite lines from any movie is given by the man she meets on holiday  "You think I want to make f*** with you. Of course but boat is boat and f*** is f***", which is delivered with such a direct way, the in joke being that this guy is a total con-artist. 

what did I learn? Sometimes you have to be willing to let it all go in order to get what you really need.