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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mel O&#039;Drama" data-source="post: 336103" data-attributes="member: 23">Calendar Girls (2003) <img src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi5.walmartimages.com%2Fasr%2F2812da71-9af8-4a13-b4d6-23f769637358_1.bf4154519f234799239b4efbfe599ddc.jpeg%3FodnWidth%3D1000%26odnHeight%3D1000%26odnBg%3Dffffff&f=1&nofb=1" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 761px" />One of those films where even before watching you all but know exactly what the tone will be and how the story will play out. The poster says most of it, and the cast of usual British rom-com suspects says the rest.Julie Walters; Celia Imrie; Penelope Wilton... this could be any one of a dozen British films (two of these - and probably more from the extended cast - were in the last-but-one film I watched, further up the page). And yet there's a good reason why these names keep showing up. Because they're solid, reliable, funny and all-round terrific.That's certainly the case here. Celia Imrie does her usual reliable support thing, while Julie Walters and Helen Mirren take leads as the two best friends, with Julie playing against type as the quiet, nervous one and Mirren as the brassier confident one who makes it all about her (something, thankfully, which is acknowledged in the film).As in practically every project in which I've seen her, it's Penelope Wilton who steals the show as the very proper one in denial about her husband's affair and resistant to anything that could challenge the proper order of things - including stripping off for a calendar.The casting remains as good all the way through. John Alderton's too-brief turn as Julie Walters' equally reserved husband is great. He makes a lasting impression which helps give the rest of the story a substance, and his North Yorkshire accent sounds impressively authentic as well. I was a little surprised Pauline Collins didn't accompany him to play one of the women as this seems right up her street. It was less surprising to learn that Ann Reid was offered a role, but was too busy to accept.There are familiar "grouchy old people" sitcom faces in Annette Crosby and Graham Crowden (the latter, sadly, barely a cough and a spit). And Harriet Thorpe (whom I still remember best from her association with French & Saunders in the Eighties, particularly as boiler-suited feminist Chris in Girls On Top) was on authoritative form here as a W.I. head honcho.While the journey is predictable and familiar* (and yes - it does at times feel like a female version of The Full Monty. The Full Monica, if you will), it is enjoyable, rewarding and satisfying. The performances are great and the scenery - from Yorkshire to London to Hollywood - most attractive.This last-minute watching of films that are about to drop off Prime is proving worthwhile. If it hadn't been on the clock I may not have made the effort of finally watching this for the first time. And I'm very glad I did.* Being based on actual events, the outcome is also inevitable up to a point. It is a great story, though, and there's also some dramatic licence on top of this. </blockquote>

Verification: What month follows July?