Go small, see ‘Calendar Girls’

VAN NOVACK

You want to talk about post-holiday letdown? The Christmas movies

have run their course and any film worthy of Golden Globe or Oscar

consideration was released months ago. So as the studios’ castoffs

not considered good enough to make real money or earn any awards

cycle through our local theaters, what’s a true movie lover to do?

Well, one possible course of action is to seek out one of those

enjoyable “little” movies that are somewhat out of the public eye. If

you’re lucky, you will happen upon a delightful British import,

“Calendar Girls.”

The film is based on a true story and tells of the women of a

Yorkshire village chapter of the Women’s Institute, a community

organization widespread in the U.K. and Canada. The Women’s Institute

spends its time hosting baking and cake decorating competitions, and

facilitating lectures on such humdrum subjects as flower arranging

and the secret life of broccoli. It all seems to be quite a snooze to

the constant amusement of longtime friends Chris (Helen Mirren) and

Annie (Julie Waters).

Chris has always been at the periphery of the institute and joined

long ago only to appease her mother. The ladies, now well into middle

age, attend the meetings more out of habit than anything.

Unfortunately, Annie’s husband John (John Alderton) dies after a

struggle with leukemia. As is often the case when such devastating

tragedy strikes, Annie lashes out at inconsequential things, one of

them being the uncomfortable sofa in the family waiting room at the

hospital.

John’s demise coincides with the Women’s Institute’s annual

fundraising activity. These ventures have historically been

well-intentioned failures and the previous year’s effort raised only

60 pounds. After finding a girlie magazine in her son’s room and

viewing a risque calendar at a local garage, Chris hits upon the

novel idea of the institute selling a calendar featuring nude photos

of its members with the proceeds devoted to purchasing a new sofa for

the family waiting room.

Although Chris cultivates sufficient interest to find volunteers

for all 12 months, she not surprisingly meets considerable resistance

from the staid leadership. After taking her appeal all the way to the

London-based national headquarters, Chris’ novel project receives

reluctant approval as long as it maintains a low profile. A stroke of

genius and good fortune (and possibility of a PG-13 rating) occurs

when the amateur photographer hired to shoot the calendar

strategically obscures the older women’s nude forms with baked goods,

fruit presses, knitting and other traditional Women’s

Institute-approved pastimes.

As mentioned previously, the film is based on a true story that’s

been well covered in the media. The actual women involved even

appeared on the Jay Leno show to discuss the calendar a few years

ago. Obviously, since the story piqued enough interest to warrant a

movie, the original objective of raising enough money for the sofa

was far surpassed. Nonetheless, the joy of this story is not the

outcome, but in the telling.

Mirren and Walters are charming and completely believable as

lifelong friends who have lived out a happy but quiet existence in

rural northern England. The rest of the women are perfectly cast and

exhibit plenty of indomitable British spirit. The beautiful

countryside of Yorkshire provides a breathtaking backdrop for the

story as well.

So, if you enjoy such very human stories, free of special effects

and unbelievable plotlines, “Calendar Girls” receives a hearty

recommendation. Surely you will risk less by taking a chance on this

film than the actual “Calendar Girls” did themselves.

* VAN NOVACK, 50, is the director of institutional research at Cal

State Long Beach and lives in Huntington Beach with his wife

Elizabeth.