Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie

Edina Monsoon and Patsy Stone have spent decades pursuing glamour, drink and the right guest list, and middle age has done nothing to change that. Edina, who runs a public relations business with almost no clients left, is still chasing celebrity connections; Patsy, a former model, remains her constant companion in denial. When a publicity stunt at a fashionable party on the Thames goes badly wrong and a famous model ends up in the river, the two become the target of a media storm and relentless paparazzi attention. With no money and no way to stay in London, they flee to the French Riviera, where they try to turn a hurried escape into a permanent arrangement.

The film adapts the long-running British television comedy created by and starring Jennifer Saunders, who wrote the screenplay and returns as Edina. Joanna Lumley plays Patsy, with Julia Sawalha as Edina's disapproving daughter Saffron, June Whitfield as Mother, and Jane Horrocks as Bubble. Mandie Fletcher directed; it is the earlier of the two features listed for her, followed by Patrick. Made for about 10 million dollars, it took roughly 38 million worldwide, a solid return for a comedy of its scale. Reception sat in middling territory: on IMDb it holds 5.4 from around 14,000 votes and on TMDB 5.3 from roughly 269, while the critics' rating stands at 5.5 from 153 reviews, placing all three measures close together.