Once Upon a Time in the Midlands is a 2002 British romantic comedy film directed by Shane Meadows, starring Robert Carlyle, Rhys Ifans, Kathy Burke, Ricky Tomlinson, Shirley Henderson, and Andrew Shim. The plot centers around Dek proposing to his girlfriend Shirley on TV. Her ex-husband, Jimmy, who abandoned them years ago, comes back to win her heart, setting off a series of comedic events.