Mrs. Henderson Presents
Screenplay by Martin Sherman.
Directed by Stephen Frears.
Montreal: Alliance Atlantis, c2006.
- Starring:
- Judi Dench
- Bob Hoskins
- Thelma Barlow
- Christopher Guest
- Will Young
- Kelly Reilly
World War II London. Recently widowed Mrs. Henderson needs a hobby. She doesn't like being on committees or sitting around doing needlework so decides to open a theatre. Loosely based on a true story, the Windmill Theatre was the first to operate non-stop musical revues. When that was copied by others, Mrs. Henderson decides to produce nude revues. First she must convince the Lord Chamberlain that she should be allowed to do so. It's decided that if the girls don't move, it's art, not theatre so tableaux are created, that often echo famous paintings or sculptures, to reinforce the art aspect. War intensifies and the government tries to close them down because too many people are congregating on the street. They argue that the theatre is underground so is a safe place to be and more importantly, they have to stay open for troop morale. Mrs. Henderson makes a very moving speech about young men going to war. An air raid makes the closure a moot point as the Lord Chamberlain is forced to take shelter in the theatre.
A nice movie. Nostalgic with good sets and period costumes. Interesting from a historical point of view. The musical portions are fun but parents should be aware of the nudity. Not that many kids and teens would be at all interested in this movie...