Though it's an all-too-obvious spin on the old Full Monty gimmick - a bunch of loveable English people doing something naughty for a good cause - Calendar Girls remains an entertaining diversion.
Based on real-life events where the middle-aged members of a ladies' social club decided to raise money for their hospital by posing nude for a calendar (their private parts humorously covered up by household items), the film stars British acting treasures Helen Mirren and Julie Walters heading up an agreeable cast of giggling old birds.
It's hard to really fault the film for doing anything wrong; it is intelligent, warmhearted, and sweet. But the script (by Tim Firth and Juliette Towhidi) is overly polished. The story hits its marks so perfectly that it's easy to see how calculated it is. But there are worse films you can take Mom to, and Helen Mirren is entirely watchable no matter what she's in.