Mrs Caldicot’s Cabbage War *** (2002, Pauline Collins, Peter Capaldi, John Alderton, Sheila Reid, Anna Wilson-Jones, Frank Mills) – Classic Movie Review 10,513

Director Ian Sharp’s amusing, heart-warming 2002 British comedy drama Mrs Caldicot’s Cabbage War is based on a 1993 novel by Vernon Coleman, and has a nice cast headed by Pauline Collins, John Alderton and Peter Capaldi.

Collins stars in a delightful performance as Thelma Caldicot, who is coerced by her manipulative son Derek (Capaldi) to move into a run-down nursing home after the death of her husband. She hates it at the nursing home and incites her fellow inmates to revolt.

The screenplay is by Malcolm Stone.

Also in the cast are Terence Rigby as Henry Caldicot, Peter Capaldi as Derek, Anna Wilson-Jones as Veronica, Gwenllian Davies as Audrey, Sheila Reid as Joyce, Frank Mills as Leslie, Frank Middlemass as Bernard, John Alderton as Hawksmoor, Isla Blair as Matron, Angela Bruce as Gina, Paul Freeman as Jenkins, Martin Jarvis as JB and Tony Robinson as Nick Reid.

Collins and Alderton have been married since 22 May 1970. Collins was awarded the O B E in 2001 for her services to drama. She won a Tony Award as Best Actress in a Play for Shirley Valentine, and re-created her role in the film version, Shirley Valentine. The couple starred together in the 70s sit-com No Honestly and acted together on stage in the 2004 play Going Straight at London’s Richmond Theatre.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,513

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