Nigel Cole directs the feel-good comedy Calendar Girls , based on the true story of a group of working-class British housewives who became overnight celebrities by posing for a nude calendar in order to raise more than 500-thousand pounds for a new leukemia unit. The film follows the adventures of best friends Chris Harper ( Helen Mirren ) and Annie Clarke ( Julie Walters ), both members of the charitable Rylstone Women's Institute in North Yorkshire. After Annie's husband John ( John Alderton ) succumbs to leukemia, the friends are motivated to take some action. They convince the group to craft a tastefully nude calendar featuring the usual ladies' activities of gardening and baking, as photographed by the young amateur Lawrence ( Philip Glenister ). Despite the disapproval of the Institute's leader Marie ( Geraldine James ), the calendar quickly becomes a best-seller and leads the group to Hollywood. Ciaran Hinds appears as Chris' husband Rod Harper. — Andrea LeVasseur