What’s the Story?

Newly widowed, wealthy Londoner Mrs. Henderson (Judi Dench) is dissatisfied with the lifestyle led by her fellow widow friends. On a whim, she buys a theatre, renovates it, and hires seasoned Vivian Van Damm (Bob Hoskins) to run the show. After the theatre opens to short-lived rave reviews, it starts losing money. Van Damm thinks it best to close but Mrs. Henderson laughs off the "defeat" and decides the best way to fill the house is to add nudity to the show. Nudity isn't allowed in the theatre, but they are able to find a loophole in the law that permits it if the models stay perfectly still. The show is a hit, especially with soldiers newly embroiled in World War II. The business partners are strong-willed and non-conventional and inevitably lock horns. But they build a strong sense of mutual respect in a partnership where both are able to get what they need.

Is It Any Good?

MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS is an artfully and lovingly made film about human frailty and the joy of being fully alive. Mrs. Henderson seems frivolous at first, but by the end of the movie it's apparent that she's driven by love, most especially a mother's love for a son lost in World War I.

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Cast & Film Details

Studio

Weinstein Co.

Director

Stephen Frears

Cast

• Judi Dench
• Bob Hoskins
• Christopher Guest

Genre

Comedy

Run time

103 minutes

Theatrical release

7/25/2005

DVD release

4/18/2006

MPAA rating

R

MPAA explanation

Nudity and language

For Your Family