Tea with the Dames

From time to time, four of the leading lights of British stage, screen, and TV meet at a country estate to reminisce about their careers, marriage, and families. Now in their 80s, Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Joan Plowright, and Eileen Atkins have nothing left to prove. On the occasion captured here, the women—honored as Dames (for "services to drama")—have allowed cameras to record their visit. With wit and just a trace of melancholy they talk about starting out, dealing with stage fright, critics, reviews, working with husbands (Plowright was married to Laurence Olivier), and balancing motherhood and family life with the strain of maintaining successful careers. Between old film clips, they contemplate advice they would give to their younger selves ("listen more!"), note the perils of getting old, and think about the prospect of retirement. Most plan to continue acting, although Plowright's failing eyesight makes this difficult. Most of them have worked at monuments to the British theater, notably the “Old Vic,” and with a touch of whimsy they recall living through the excesses of London's "Swinging Sixties." The women exhibit a bit of British reserve and self deprecation, but also a quiet and justified pride in their accomplishments in this entertaining profile. Recommended. (S. Rees)