A Stubborn Man

Richie is a great Helen Mirren fan and when, a couple of years ago while browsing through our library's DVD section, he came across "Calendar Girls" he had to check it out.

Plot: Twelve women are members of a womans' club in the Dales (I think) and when one woman's husband dies, they decide to turn over the earnings from their annual calendar to the local hospital. The problem is: their calendar doesn't sell well at all. What can they do?

Pose nude for it! Nude, but not .. a tray of cupcakes or a vase of flowers hides their lady bits. After some initial quivers, the photos are taken, the calendar made and sales begin. Apparently it was a slow news day when it came out, because the calendar (and the women) become a cause celebre globally. I think the movie could have ended with them opening bushels of donation letters, but instead it follows them to America and celebrity-ego problems.

What does this movie have to do with my life, you ask? Richie believes that the Thurs. Writers should do a similar calendar -- not for money, but to publicize the various books we've written.

Yes, well... our oldest member is 91, our youngest 62 and to be charitable, none of us are the Angelina Jolie/Brad Pitt of this world. Presumably we could hide behind manuscripts, computers, lap tops... but how interesting would that be? (Ans. Not at all.)

But Richie is undeterred. Last night he said, "Guess what I got!" brandishing a DVD box. We watched "Calendar Girls" again. Mirren is believable, but Richie's idea is most definitely not!