In wartime, an ordinary woman finds new courage

As the world fights for freedom in WWII, one woman struggles to liberate herself

Soon after England declared war on Germany in 1939, Lancashire housewife Nella Last began writing a diary as part of a public project. She was 49 and fearful that she wouldn’t be able to cope with her son’s enlistment and life alone with her domineering husband. This award-winning drama not only recounts her experience of wartime privations, but also her dawning sense of independence. Amid the hardships of food rations and air raids, Nella’s volunteer work for the war effort fills her with an exhilarating sense of purpose.

Written by and starring beloved British performer Victoria Wood, Housewife, 49 presents a moving glimpse into life on the home front through the eyes of a resolute woman gradually awakening to life.

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE insert with background on the U.K.’s Mass-Observation project, text interview with Victoria Wood, and cast filmographies.