A widowed cleaning lady in 1950s London falls madly in love with a couture Dior dress and decides she must have one of her own.
The title predicted a film full of “cutesy,” I thought as I settled in to watch. I hadn’t read about it before and thought it might be a children’s film. However, I experienced 90 minutes of being as refreshed as if I’d been in a swing under a wide, sheltering tree drinking a big glass of homemade lemonade over ice. While the ensuing action never really produced an actual laugh (oh, maybe one or two), I smiled from ear to ear from beginning to end. The story of “Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris” is from a 1958 book by Paul Gallico. Gallico was a prolific writer with screenplays and novels to his credit. He also authored ‘Mrs. Harris Goes to New York,’ ‘Mrs. Harris Goes to Parliament,’ and ‘Mrs. Harris Goes to Moscow.’ All represent the adventures of a British charwoman who has a talent for revealing the hidden hearts of other characters around her.
In the current tale, placed in the early 1950s, Mrs. Harris falls head over heels in love with a Dior dress one of her employers has purchased. It sparks in her the idea of saving her money by sometimes taking on second and third jobs, so she may travel to Paris and buy a beautiful Dior dress. She eventually accomplishes her goal, and it’s easy to imagine the story as she arrives in Paris and the door of the House of Dior dressed in clothing that reminds one of none other than Mary Poppins! As Lesley Manville portrays Mrs. Harris as sweet and naive but feisty when she feels squelched by people who look down on her. She is clueless at times and oblivious to how others perceive her as she makes her way into an actual private showing of Dior’s new line and the audience of predominantly women who vie to purchase whatever fabulous Dior dress that catches their eye.
This film is just fun. Mrs. Harris is charming. The settings and fashions are lovely. The plot is engaging. Mostly, though, it’s 90 minutes of refreshment, which leaves you feeling optimistic, chipper, upbeat, and cheerful. Given summer temperatures and political temperatures at present, this film fills an essential spot to take our minds off everything and allows us to enjoy a lovely little story.
In Theaters Friday, July 15th
