[.ca] Mrs. Henderson Presents (Widescreen)

"You really are Jewish":
It is between world wars in London. Laura Henderson (Judi Dench) is recently widowed. Now she must look for something to do with her time and money. Having exhausted all the conventional outlets, she ventures in to the world of theater. She purchased the dilapidated "Windmill" theater. To make a go of it she employs the well know Vivian Van Damm (Bob Hoskins) to run things. Vivian demands a free hand and is many time at odds with Laura. To save the faltering enterprise they come up with a nude tableau presentation. Mrs. Henderson is overbearing and not as much a bigot as snot. Early on she accuses Van Damm of being Jewish. To playact his entourage he is forced to disrobe. When Mr. Henderson walks in and takes a long look "You really are Jewish". The film is loosely based on real events yet adjusted for today's audience. You will notice many of the standard scenarios and clichs with a touch of "chorus line" or maybe 42 nd street. The real value is not just the fine acting but their personal interaction of the characters as the all learn (usually too late) more of each other as time goes by. As facades are stripped away, there is a lot more depth of character than meets the eye.

"I'm bored with widowhood.":
This true story is set in 1930s London, where wealthy Laura Henderson (Judi Dench) has just been widowed and is at a loss as to how to fill her time. On a lark, she buys a broken-down music hall in the West End and hires Vivian Van Damm (Bob Hoskins) to run the revue. He's every bit as stubborn and opinionated as she is, and the two make an uneasy team at first. To boost sagging ticket sales, Mrs. Henderson suggests they use use nude models in tableaux. The theatre becomes a big hit, especially with the young soldiers during wartime. Mrs. Henderson and Van Damm come to trust and respect each other after sharing their deepest secrets. This movie is absolutely charming, thanks to the wonderful Judy Dench and Bob Hoskins. Dench is always such a pleasure to watch; she simply owns the screen. Her character is snobbish, rigid, and quite loveable. Hoskins is the perfect match for her. He's just as outrageously snobbish as she is, and their scenes together are the best in the movie. There's lots of 30s and 40s music in the music hall numbers and lots of nudes. It's a touching, sweet little film, and knowing it really happened makes it even better.