Shirley Valentine - review

Shirley Bradshaw (Pauline Collins) is a bored housewife who through being a wife and a mother has lost her own identity. With days filled with household chores, shopping and cooking, her life has become hum-drum with nothing to look forward to. 

As a young Shirley Valentine she dreamed of travelling the world, but life took over and her travelling days are a distant dream until she’s offered the chance to travel to Greece with a friend.

Reluctant at first to leave her husband Joe to his own devices, Shirley is swept up in the excitement of getting a passport and shopping for holiday clothes, but when her daughter returns home after falling out with a friend and treats her like a skivvy, Shirley’s mind is made up – she’s off to Greece!

As soon as she steps foot on the island, Shirley knows she made the right decision. With its views of blue sea and the smell of freedom from everyday life, Shirley takes the opportunity to rediscover herself away from routine after being abandoned by her friend for a man she met on the plane and in the process strikes up a close friendship with friendly waiter Costas (Tom Conti).

After 2 weeks on the island Shirley knows it’s time to go back to reality, but when she thinks of what she’s returning to, she realises that not only is Shirley Valentine back, she’s thinking of herself for once and staying in Greece.

I’d heard about this movie, but never seen it and now that I have I found it an enjoyable rom-com. It really made me think about the stale routine of life which we can so easily get stuck in and the ultimate dream to take off and explore another country. 

This is the movie which made me write a list of where I want to travel to, but unlike Shirley, I don’t think I could do it alone.