Willy Russell Movies
- 1990
British playwright Willy Russell (Shirley Valentine, Educating Rita) adapts his play Stags and Hens for the screen and, with director Mike Ockrent, who also directed the stage production of Educating Rita, succeeds in conveying the cocky-eyed and aimless textures of working-class Liverpool ("It's like Beirut without the sun" one character points out) in Dancin' Thru the Dark. In this atmosphere-laden character piece, Linda (Claire Hackett) is out cavorting with her friends on the night before her wedding at a Liverpool nightery. But then her husband-to-be and his friends arrive to celebrate at the same joint. As if that weren't enough coincidence to go around, pop singer Peter (Con O'Neill), Linda's ex-boyfriend, and his rock band arrive in town to play a gig -- and it happens to be at the same club. Then Linda's past and future come together like two smashing beer mugs. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Starring:
- Con O'Neill, Angela Clarke, (more)
Since its London and Broadway stage debut, playwright Willy Russell's Shirley Valentine has proven an excellent showcase for any number of talented actresses (Loretta Swit won the 1989 Sarah Siddons Award for her work in the Chicago production). In the film version of Shirley Valentine, Pauline Collins re-creates the role that had previously brought her theatrical fame and a Tony Award. Spending the bulk of the film speaking directly to the audience, the titular Shirley (Collins), a middle-aged Liverpool housewife, reveals her innermost thoughts and fears in a manner that is both insouciant and poignant. Once an incorrigible anti-establishment rebel, Shirley now chafes under the plodding insensitivity of her husband, Joe (Bernard Hill). Her life enters a new and exciting phase when, after her best friend, Jane (Alison Steadman), wins an all-expenses-paid vacation to Greece, Shirley is given the opportunity to travel to faraway places without her husband. Shirley Valentine represents the second felicitous collaboration between playwright Willy Russell and director Lewis Gilbert; the first was Educating Rita (1983). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Pauline Collins, Tom Conti, (more)
- 1985
- PG13
Another Man Who Loved Women with a slightly different plot, this routine story opens with the funeral of a local projectionist and gardener, Donald Lovelace (Barry Jackson). His widow and daughter are surprised at the number of women who turn out to mourn Donald's passing. Soon the truth about his peccadillos with a string of women ranging from the usherette at the movie theater to an aspiring singer are told in flashbacks, revealing a life that his aloof wife and resentful daughter knew nothing about. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Barry Jackson, Maurice Denham, (more)
- 1983
David Morrissey and Spencer Leigh starred in this five-part British miniseries as Icky and Billy, two troublemaking teens from Liverpool. When things get too hot for them at home, the boys run off to North Wales, hoping to bury the past behind them. But the past refuses to stay interred, with devastating results. Enhanced by the soulful harmonica renditons of Alan Parker, One Summer made its Channel 4 debut on January 1, 1983. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
A trio of Oscar nominations and a pair of Golden Globes went to this acclaimed romantic comedy-drama based on the play by Willy Russell. Julie Walters stars as Rita, a witty, 26-year-old working class British hairdresser who decides to seek an education at Open University. Rita needs a tutor, and she selects Dr. Frank Bryant (Michael Caine), an alcoholic college literature professor whose life is a shambles. Divorced, Bryant's new lover is now having an affair with his best friend and he's increasingly depressed, seeking solace in whisky. Bryant's domestic turmoil is mirrored by Rita's, as she has opted for college over motherhood, a source of friction between her and her husband. As Rita blooms intellectually under the tutelage of Bryant, she realizes that what she really lacks is self-confidence, not education, and a gentle romance blossoms between her and Bryant. At home, however, Rita's newfound self-respect and intelligence cause her even greater pain. Director Lewis Gilbert and writer Russell teamed again six years later on the similarly-themed Shirley Valentine (1989). ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Caine, Julie Walters, (more)
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