UK (2005): Comedy/Drama
London, 1937. Mrs. Laura Henderson (Judi Dench), a woman of wealth and connections, has just buried her beloved husband. And now she's bored. At 69, she is far too energetic and vital to fade into gentle widowhood. What she needs, says her friend Lady Conway (Thelma Barlow), is a hobby. Collecting diamonds, perhaps? Or doing charitable works? But, to the shock of her friends she instead buys a theatre -- the Windmill Theatre in the heart of Soho.
She knows nothing about running it, so she hires a manager: enter Vivian Van Damm (Bob Hoskins). A showbiz pro, he too is shocked by Mrs. Henderson: she is outrageous, provocative and eccentric. And rather rude. Van Damm bans her from rehearsals owing to her endless interference, so she dresses up as a Chinese matron, then a polar bear, to spy on him. Their love-hate relationship sparks fireworks -- and historic innovations in British theatre. Van Damm's idea for revudeville, or non-stop entertainment, is a first, and the Windmill is packed -- until other theatres copy it. Then it's Laura's turn to devise another first -- put naked girls on stage!
Directed by Stephen Frears, the film also features Will Young, Kelly Reilly and Christopher Guest. (BBC Films-Pathé/The Weinstein Company - Web site)
2 nominations
· Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role 2005: Judi Dench
· Achievement in Costume Design 2005: Sandy Powell