Movies can cheer us up or leave us weeping, but Laura Davis discovers they can also lead to life-changing decisions

ON THE face of it, they had little in common – Shirley Valentine, a fictional character talking to walls and escaping to Greece for a fling, and Lynn Anderton, a real woman with a busy family life and no time for a mid-life crisis.

Then her marriage began to break down and, as she began to reassess her situation, Lynn found herself inspired by the film.

“I never really got Shirley Valentine when I was in my 30s, probably because I found it a struggle working and keeping the house,” says the 47-year-old. “Once you get into your 40s, you start asking yourself questions – is there a bit more to life?”

Finding herself drawing comfort from watching other characters’ experiences on the big screen, Lynn realised she could use films to help herself and other people.

After completing a Certificate in Life Coaching with Newcastle College, in August she founded Reel Life Coaching and started to teach people how to help themselves become more fulfilled through the medium of film.

“Sometimes it can be a bit painful to talk about things, but once you are watching a film and you have an outside perspective it helps you come to terms with your own situation,” she explains.

As well as one-to-one sessions, Lynn runs a series of workshops including How to Coach Yourself to a Better Life, which teaches people to use films to better understand their personalities and needs.

In January, she will introduce a new workshop on What Your Favourite Films Reveal About You, based on a book, Cinescopes, by American authors Risa Williams and Ezra Werb.

Not only will this be aimed at individuals, but Lynn, who lives in Bebington, Wirral, is hoping businesses and social enterprises will be interested in sending their staff on a course.

“When I start off with them, I ask them to talk about their favourite film and we go from there,” explains the mother-of-one.