Mrs. Henderson Presents

Starring: Dench, Judi and Hoskins, Bob

Mrs. Laura Henderson may be a widow but she is by no means going to spend the rest her days playing bridge. The Windmill Theater becomes her game and the infamous showman Vivian Van Dam becomes her partner and fiercest opponent. The Germans are bombing London but the roar of the Windmill is all that can be heard, as Laura convinces Lord Cromer to allow her actresses to be the one thing no one could ever imagine: Nude. Brought to its knees by war, what Mrs. Henderson Presents brings a nation to its feet in applause.

• Format: DVD
• Language: English
• UPC: 796019792042
• Release Date: January 2006
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Publisher: Lions Gate-Sphe
• Director: Frears, Stephen
• Starring: Dench, Judi, Hoskins, Bob
• Runtime: 1 hour, 43 minutes
• Number of Disks: 1
• Other Video Info: Multiple Formats; Color; Dolby; Full Screen; NTSC; Subtitled
• Weight: 0.22 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 7.5" x 5.4"
• Age Range: 17 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 12 and higher

Customer Reviews

"You really are Jewish." Looking down at his appendage.

It is between the 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 into the world of theater. She purchased the dilapidated “Windmill” theater. To make a go of it, she employs the well-known Vivian Van Damm (Bob Hoskins) to run things. Vivian demands a free hand and is many a 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 a snot. Early on, she accuses Van Damm of being Jewish. To playact his entourage, he is forced to disrobe. When Mrs. 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 clichés with a touch of “Chorus Line” or maybe “42nd Street”. The real value is not just the fine acting but their personal interaction as the characters, as they 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.