Full Monty-Fully Exposed Edition (1997)

"...enchantingly funny...crowd-pleasing!  David Ansen, NewsWeek
"Irresistible...hilarious!  Janet Maslin, The New York Times
"An enchanting British comedy of gender politics...an unqualified delight...  Lael Loewenstein, Box Office Magazine
"Hats off! Roaringly funny!  Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
"Two thumbs up, way up!  Siskel & Ebert

Editor's Note In hopes of raising a few quid after their steel factory shuts down, a desperate group of working-class blokes in Sheffield decide to form an exotic male dance troupe, a la Chippendales, with one difference--despite their, well, average-at-best physiques, they're going to go "the full monty," meaning they'll offer their audience total nudity. Surprisingly bittersweet moments and well-intentioned social commentary imbue this raucous, feel-good comedy from England. Academy Award Nominations: 4, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Original Musical or Comedy Score. Academy Award: Best Original Musical or Comedy Score.

	Mark Addy
	Robert Carlyle
	Tom Wilkinson
	William Snape
	Anne Dudley - Original Music By
	Chris Roope - Art Director
	David Freeman - Editor
	John de Borman - Cinematographer
	Max Gottlieb - Production Designer
	Nick Moore - Editor
	Paul Bucknor, et. al. - Producer
	Peter Cattaneo - Director
	Simon Beaufoy - Writer

Sight and Sound
"...Rich, consistent humour..." 09/01/1997 p.43-4

USA Today
"...Comic delight....Spangled with happy surprises and sharp acting..." -- 3 1/2 out of 4 stars 08/13/1997 p.3D

New York Times
"...[An] irresistible tale....Brightly acted and casually hilarious....It displays tenderness and respect on a par with its great humor..." 08/13/1997 p.C9

Los Angeles Times
"...Heart-warming fun with more serious undertones than you might have expected..." 08/13/1997 p.F5

Chicago Sun-Times
"...A lovable comedy....THE FULL MONTY belongs in the recent tradition of bittersweet films from Britain that depict working-class life..." 08/27/1997 p.50

Spirituality & Practice 8 of 10
Gaz (Robert Carlyle) and his best friend Dave (Mark Addy) are unemployed steelworkers in the economically depressed English town of Sheffield...Similar in spirit and spunk to Brassed Off, this rowdy comedy directed by Peter Cattaneo captures and conveys the ways in which joblessness contributes to a malaise of body, mind, and spirit. When there seems to be no way out of hopelessness and helplessness, Gaz inspires his mates with his wild and crazy idea. In the process of rehearsing and planning the event, these middle-agers fashion a new sense of community and camaraderie. The old barriers that separated management and labor are tossed aside. They are able to bare their bodies because their souls have been revivified...The Full Monty is a funny and fetching celebration of the resiliency of the human spirit. Here imagination and risk are the catalysts to soul-making. - Frederic & Mary Ann Brussat

ReelViews 8 of 10
The Full Monty is the third recent dramatic comedy to emerge from the United Kingdom to illustrate the effects of unemployment on the individual and the family. Like Brassed Off! and The Van, The Full Monty combines humor with light drama to explore the manner in which a group of men cope with the emotional and financial toll of being "force adjusted." Moreso than its two immediate predecessors, however, The Full Monty is interested in getting the audience to leave the theater with a warm feeling, and, considering this undemanding agenda, it's reasonably successful...This isn't a great movie, but it's breezy, enjoyable, and easy to sit through. And sometimes, even when dealing with a serious issue like unemployment, that can be the perfect tone to drive home a message. - James Berardinelli