Costas is shocked to see Shirley after her departure, but she says she wants a job and is not upset at catching him in the act. She spends more time with Costas, and at the airport turns back, and walks to Costas's tavern to find him attempting to seduce another tourist the same way. On her return, Jane believes that Shirley has fallen in love with Costas, but Shirley reveals to the audience that she has fallen in love with the idea of living. They kiss and later on the boat have very intense sex. She realises that she does not want Costas to keep his promise.
Enjoying the day out, Shirley decides to swim in the sea lacking a swimsuit, she swims naked instead with Costas joining her in the water. But boat is boat, and fuck is fuck.").Īs Shirley prepares for the trip, Jane returns and begs for forgiveness for abandoning her Jane is then stunned to find that Shirley has made plans on her own and will be going out with Costas imminently. Costas promises not to try to seduce her, while nonetheless bolstering her self-confidence in her own attractiveness ("You think I want to make fuck with you? Of course I want to make fuck with you. She remains contentedly alone until she meets Costas Dimitriades (Conti), the owner of a nearby tavern, who helps her fulfil a dream of drinking wine by the seashore in the country where the grapes were grown, and later invites her to travel around the nearby islands for a day on his brother's boat. She begins to see her fellow holidaymakers through new eyes, as she genuinely enjoys Greece while they want British food and stereotypical entertainment.
Upon arrival, Jane immediately abandons Shirley for a holiday romance with a fellow passenger from their flight, leaving Shirley to set out on her own. Shirley feels considerable self-doubt, and ultimately only goes because of unexpected encouragement from her neighbour Gillian ( Julia McKenzie), who drops her air of superiority to reveal her respect and emotional support of Shirley's plans, and former school enemy Marjorie Majors ( Joanna Lumley), who reveals she had in fact been envious of Shirley's rebellious role at school, and had become a high class prostitute rather than a prestigious air hostess. When her flamboyant friend Jane ( Alison Steadman) wins a trip for two to Greece, Shirley uncharacteristically puts herself first and accepts Jane's invitation. Shirley Valentine is a 42-year-old middle class Liverpudlian bored housewife whose life and initially enriching marriage has settled into a narrow and unsatisfying rut, leaving few real friends and her childhood dreams unaccomplished and she feels as if her husband and children treat her more like a servant.