Girls' Night
Film poster
Directed byNick Hurran
Written byKay Mellor
Produced byBill Boyes
StarringJulie Walters
Brenda Blethyn
CinematographyDavid Odd
Edited byJohn Richards
Music byEdward Shearmur
Production
company
Distributed byGranada Film
Release dates
  • 13 February 1998 (1998-02-13) (Berlinale)
  • 26 June 1998 (1998-06-26) (UK)
Running time
102 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget$4.5 million
Box office$1.5 million[1]

Girls' Night is a 1998 British comedy-drama directed by Nick Hurran. Loosely based upon the real experiences of writer Kay Mellor, the film stars Julie Walters and Brenda Blethyn as two sisters-in-law and best friends, one dying of cancer, who fulfil a lifelong dream of going to Las Vegas, Nevada, after an unexpected jackpot win on the bingo.[2]

Premiered to a mixed response by critics at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival, who noted it a "rather formulaic tearjerker [with] two powerhouse Brit actresses",[3] Hurran won a Silver Spire at the San Francisco International Film Festival[4] and received a Golden Bear nomination at the 48th Berlin International Film Festival for his work.[5]

Plot

Set in working class, northern England, Jackie Simpson and Dawn Wilkinson have been life-long best friends and in-laws, as Dawn is married to Jackie's brother Steve. The two women work together side-by-side in a factory, and have a girls' night every Friday.

One Friday night, in the bingo hall while Jackie is fooling around with the manager Paul, Dawn wins the Bingo jackpot, 100,000 pounds. As they always split their winnings, Jackie is due to get 50,000, so she happily cleans out her things, leaving her husband Dave the house keys with a note saying that he can keep the house. Jackie surprises her lover with her belongings, hoping to stay awhile.

The next day, clashing with the boss, Jackie gets sacked. Shortly after, Dawn collapses and is rushed to the hospital. Undergoing a barrage of tests, they discover she has cancer again (she'd had breast cancer years ago). He tells her they want to immediately put her on a course of radiation therapy. When Steve picks her up, she says nothing, but arriving home, seeing her teenagers roughhousing, she inexplicably starts crying.

That Friday, the sisters-in-law go to the bingo party to collect the check. When asked what she will do with the money, Jackie quips in the idea of a trip to Las Vegas. Dave brings her a document officially getting her off the mortgage. Jackie then finds out that Dawn had been in hospital.

On Monday, Dawn is off the line at work and given a simpler task usually given to newbies, a more isolating job. Steve gives Jackie a check for only 35,000 pounds (instead of the 50,000 Dawn had promised her). After the second course of radiation, Dawn vomits and begins to lose hair. She announces that she will pack it in at work.

Jackie and Paul break it off when she discovers that he has not been exclusive. He is frustrated that she had essentially moved in a month ago. Steve comes across Jackie as she is wheeling away with her suitcases, looking for help with Dawn. Her hair is sparse and she looks terrible, but she refuses to admit what is going on. Jackie marches down to the hospital, insisting she speak with Dawn’s doctor. She discovers that Dawn is now refusing more treatment, as it is not reducing her brain tumor.

Jackie pops by Dawn's, whisking her away to an adventure in Las Vegas. In her first few minutes at the slot machines, Dawn hits the jackpot. Not prepared for such a big payout, Cody loans her his cowboy hat. She calls Steve that night to tell him they are having a blast in Las Vegas. Cody invites them to spend a day exploring Nevada on horseback. Beforehand, Dawn wins again at the roulette table. After they split the over $500, Jackie chastises her for giving up.

The duo go trail riding with Cody by his Nevada ranch. Afterwards Jackie is dropped off at the hotel, and Dawn stays out for a bit (with Jackie hopeful that Dawn has a fling). Dawn does not and decides that she wants to end their trip.

Back at home, Jackie nurses Dawn and apologizes to Dave. Jackie gives a eulogy at Dawn’s funeral. At the wake at home, the family finds gifts for them under the bed. Her message to Jackie from the grave is Cody's cowboy hat, so she returns to him in Nevada.

Cast

Reception

The film grossed £0.7 million ($1.2 million) in the United Kingdom and $1.5 million worldwide.[6][1]

References

  1. 1 2 Peter Cowie, ed. (1999). The Variety Almanac 1999. Boxtree Ltd. p. 149. ISBN 0-7522-2454-9.
  2. ↑ Allon, Yoram; Cullen, Del; Patterson, Hannah (1 January 2001). Contemporary British And Irish Film Directors. ISBN 9781903364215. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  3. ↑ Harvey, Dennis (22 January 1998). "Girls Night Review". Variety. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  4. ↑ "Awards for Nick Hurran". IMDb. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  5. ↑ "Berlinale: 1998 Programme". berlinale.de. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  6. ↑ "British biz at the box office". Variety. 14 December 1998. p. 72 – via The Free Library.
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