Career Girls is a 1997 film by Mike Leigh which tells the story of two women, who reunite after six years apart. The film stars Katrin Cartlidge and Lynda Steadman. The women were originally thrown together when they shared a flat while at university and the film focuses on their interpersonal relationship.
Plot
Career Girls follows former college flatmates Annie (Lynda Steadman) and Hannah (Katrin Cartlidge) as they meet up in London for the weekend. It also follows the story of their time together at university years earlier through a series of flashbacks based on their memories of the period.
The film opens with Annie on the train to London to spend the weekend with her former college flatmate Hannah.
- Annie looks at the accommodation board at university and goes to be interviewed by Hannah and Claire (Kate Byers) for a room in their flat. They talk about the accommodation costs and Annie says The Cure is her favourite band as The Lovecats plays on the stereo.
Hannah picks up Annie from the station in her car and they drive back to Hannah's flat.
- Claire and Hannah teach Annie a game using Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights. They ask a question then flick to a page in the book and read a line from that page. Hannah then makes fun of Annie's dermatitis, upsetting her.
They arrive back at Hannah's house for a cup of tea and talk about their sleeping arrangements.
- Hannah and Annie are sorting through their books and how they are going to split five mugs they have bought between both of them. Annie and Hannah discuss that they want to move in with each other the following year and need to get rid of their current flatmate Claire.
They stay in and have dinner while chatting about previous relationships. Hannah tells Annie how her mother is still drinking lots and puking up her Sunday lunches. Annie tells Hannah about how her mother is looking to get a new boyfriend. Annie still lives at home and looks forward to being independent from her mum and admires Hannah's independence. In contrast Hannah states how she hates it and has been forced to be independence since a child.
- Annie and Hannah are cooking, Annie wears swimming goggles to cut the onions. Hannah offers to cut them for her. They discuss how Hannah hasn't cried since she was 8 when her parents split up. Annie says she cries all the time, her parents also split up when she was 8.
At Hannah's flat they're both now lying in their beds thinking back to their university days.
- We're introduced to Ricky (Mark Benton) as he arrives late to Annie's psychology lecture. Ricky's landlord has kicked him out and so he moves in temporarily with Annie and Hannah, sleeping on their sofa. Ricky has a bad stutter, is very nervous and also does not know how to act in social situations. In the pub Annie and Ricky discuss psychological traits in the pub to the annoyance of Hannah. Ricky says that his surname is Burton, although he 'looks nothing like Richard Burton'. Ricky's untactful probing and discussion on psychology leads to an argument with Hannah. She storms off after Ricky talks about a personal dream Annie has spoken about in a psychology lecture. Hannah and Ricky walk back from the pub, Ricky goes to the Chinese takeaway underneath the flat. Annie goes back into the flat and catches up with Hannah, they discuss the argument and how Ricky fancies Annie.
On another occasion Ricky, Hannah and Annie dance in the lounge to The Walk by The Cure. Hannah goes to bed, leaving Annie with Ricky. They sit on the sofa drunk playing the Wuthering Heights game together. They ask if they are likely to have sex soon. Ricky says that he fancies Annie and that he loves her. She says that she's in love with someone else. Ricky leaves the house to 'go and get Chinese' even though it's unlikely to be open in the early hours of Sunday morning. Hannah and Annie are in their kitchen discussing Ricky and why Annie doesn't fancy him. They wonder where Ricky has gone to.
Sometime later Ricky still hasn't appeared as Annie sits in her psychology lecture. Annie states that she'll get his Nan’s address from the registrar at university.
Hannah and Annie are in a seaside town looking for Ricky's Nan’s house. They knock on her door and speak to her. She says that Ricky has gone out, possibly along the sea front, they go to look for him.
The next day Hannah and Annie set out on flat viewings as Hannah wants to buy. They buzz the flat of a Mr. Evans (Andy Serkis). Mr. Evans thinks it's a joke. He finally lets them up. Walking into his flat they find him brushing him teeth in his dressing gown. His house has a naked painting of his ex girlfriend on the wall. His whole attitude is inappropriate, he asks Hannah out, then offers them both a spliff. He then shows them the bedrooms, with a pornographic magazine still out on his bed. They run out of the flat making excuses, he chases after them offering them champagne. He then tries to stop the lift and yells at them for not joining him. They're still laughing back in the car as they drive to the next flat viewing.
At the next flat they are met by the estate agent, Adrian Spinks (Joe Tucker). As he shows them around the flat Annie realises that she recognizes the agent as an ex boyfriend.
- Hannah and Adrian are in a club, The Upstairs Room by the Cure plays in the background. Adrian chats up Hannah on the dance floor. She takes him home and they sleep together. The next morning he walks into Annie's room and tries to chat her up.
Hannah and Annie ask Adrian if he went to the same university as them. He says yes and they discuss what marks they got in their degrees. He still doesn't recognise them.
- Hannah and Annie are shopping in Camden market. Back at the flat Adrian is lying on their sofa. Annie is chatting to Adrian telling him about a recurring sexual fantasy.
They ask Adrian if he recognises them, he says maybe Hannah but not Annie.
- Annie and Adrian are sitting on a bench. Hannah comes over and gives them crisps before leaving them looking unhappy. Annie and Adrian kiss. They discuss why he split up with his ex-girlfriend. He said he didn't want the commitment, Annie asks why and he jumps up and leaves her alone.
Back at the flat, they find out that Adrian is married with a child.
Annie and Hannah are at a restaurant discussing how much they remember about their university days. They discuss how much they've changed and grown. They wonder what happened to Ricky. Annie says she hadn't stopped thinking about Adrian for 10 years. Hannah says she was hurt by the situation back then but said she didn't say anything because she knew that Annie was in love with him.
- Annie and Hannah are packing away their flat at the end of their four years at university, they cry and hug.
At dinner they discuss when they took a trip to Emily Bronte's house, Hannah was overwhelmed by Annie's family and everyone being so nice to each other as opposed to her dysfunctional family.
Walking in the park they see their old flatmate Claire running past them. In the car they discuss the coincidence of seeing two old acquaintances in one afternoon. They decide to go and have a quick look at their old flat.
The Chinese takeaway below their flat is now shut up and covered in fly posters, including an advert for the Cure's new single. They spot Ricky sitting on the steps outside the flat holding a cuddly elephant. They chat to Ricky who seems angry and delirious. He says he arrived from Hartlepool the previous day. He said the toy is for his son but the mother won't admit that it's his. He shows them a photo of his son. He tells them that his Nan died, he says that they don't care when Annie asks where Ricky lives. They leave.
- By the sea they find Ricky. They ask how he is and he shouts and swears at them that he doesn't care. They chase after them and he screams at them to leave him alone.
They get back to the train station. They say goodbye at the train. Hannah gives Annie the copy of Wuthering Heights.
Awards and nominations
- Valladolid Film Festival (Spain)
- Won: Silver Spike (Mike Leigh; tied with Cosas que dejé en La Habana)
- Won: Youth Jury Award - Special Mention Competition (Mike Leigh)
- Nominated: Golden Spike (Mike Leigh)
External links
