Shirley Valentine (film) to retain the best of Willy Russell's theatrical devices . . . while opening out the action to embrace a big-screen atmosphere. The supporting cast, particularly Bernard Hill as Collins's Neanderthal husband, is equally convincing, with only the hammy Conti (glistening teeth and appalling accent) striking a momentary false note." Among reviewers who found the film banal and hollow, Caryn James of "The New York Times" observed, "By adding all the characters and settings that Shirley only talks about on stage, the film reveals the weakness of Mr. Russell's script as surely as if a magician's clumsy assistant had pointed
Rita Lakin wrote or co-authored two original theatrical plays, "No Language But a Cry" and "Saturday Night at Grossinger's". Rita Lakin has won nominations and awards for her writing including the Writers Guild of America Award, the Edgar Allan Poe Award and the Avery Hopwood Award from the University of Michigan. Rita Lakin has written 464 episodes, eight movies of the week, and two miniseries, spanning 30 television productions. She is also the creator of the crime drama series "The Rookies" and the prime time soap "Flamingo Road", and co-creator with Howard Lakin and Frank Furino of the US medical drama "Nightingales"