Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day Movie
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Storyline
TAGLINES
Every Woman Will Have Her Day
Guinevere Pettigrew, a middle-aged London governess, finds herself unfairly dismissed from her job. An attempt to gain new employment catapults her into the glamorous world and dizzying social whirl of an American actress and singer, Delysia Lafosse.
| Amy Adams | Delysia Lafosse |
| David Alexander | Chestnut Seller |
| Clare Clifford | Margery |
| Christina Cole | Charlotte Warren |
| Stephanie Cole | Miss Holt |
| Beatie Edney | Mrs. Brummegan |
| Shirley Henderson | Edythe Dubarry |
| Ciarán Hinds | Joe Blumfield |
| Sarah Kants | Annabel Darlington |
| Sally Leonard | Woman at Train Station |
| Frances McDormand | Guinevere Pettigrew |
| Katy Murphy | Mrs. Holt's Assistant |
| Lee Pace | Michael Pardue |
| Tom Payne | Phil Goldman |
| Tim Potter | Nightclub Patron |
| Bharat Nalluri |
7.30 out of 10 (3320 votes)
Visitor Reviews
a dyslexic third grader writes a play based on Oscar Wilde
posted on 08 Aug 2009Basically Oscar Wilde's 'The Importance of Being Earnest' as interpreted by a third grader with dyslexia...oh and he/she had a hearing problem. OK not that bad...wait yes it was, it was a third grader interpreting an Oscar Wilde play and than writing their play. It was awful and it was empathy for the actors who tried to work with what they had, the actors did a decent job but jez, tell me they weren't counting the words left til this gobshite ended. Anybody who gave this a pos is financially tied to this garbage heap or mental/mentally....who knows I am not there. Look, watch the film, but if after 15 minutes you or your SO finds this film juvenile then run, don't walk, to the ticket agent and ask for an exchange. consider yourself warned
cinema is this
posted on 29 Jul 2009A great little movie, an oasis of good cinema. On the same day, I had seen a much celebrated highly successful movie: "21". So good to see this afterwards, sort of a reconciliation with what a movie should be. If I think of "21" and 99 percent of all other movies today, I would not say that there is bad acting. I would just say that acting is almost unnecessary, because the characters are all the same! There is nothing in the characters. But when you see this one, each person has its story, and acting matters and it's great. Finally great acting and characters that actually mean something. Finally a movie without explosions, no fights from old Greece or 20000 years ago, and it's not even a romantic comedy. It is romantic and it is a comedy. It's just not a romantic comedy: you know like today's romantic comedies with either Matthew McCounghey or Jennifer Lopez that always take place in today's New York and with a jazzy music in the background and where the first scene is ALWAYS a main character waking up at the sound of an alarm. It would be so good to see a movie starting with LOW ENERGY and with somebody GOING TO BED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MOVIE. But I guess that's not what they teach you at "Design a movie with the average stupid moviegoer neuroscientific pattern 101".
Not a great movie but a funny, interesting diversion.
posted on 17 Jul 2009It is 1939 London. People are already talking about the Germans and the possibility of war. Times are already hard and work is sometimes scarce.Frances McDormand (with a very nice British accent) is frumpy and dull Miss Pettigrew, a housekeeper who was just dismissed. We see her in an office trying to find work but the lady there clearly doesn't have a very high opinion of Pettigrew. But when the lady is called away briefly Pettigrew swipes the business card laying there and heads off to the address to take the job that another will be sent for.She arrives a few minutes after 10AM and finds Amy Adams as American hopeful actress Delysia. Delysia is staying at her boyfriend's flat while she is romancing a young man who will choose the leading lady in his next play. This is a blatant form of "sleeping with the producer" to get ahead. But the other man is returning and Miss Pettigrew has to think fast to avoid embarrassment for Delysia.Things are even more complicated for Delysia as she is a singer at a local nightspot but the piano player, a decent young man, pines for her. What is a popular, talented, and pretty young girl to do? By the movie's title this is Miss Pettigrew's story, of her day, how she gets into a position she had only imagined before. It is fun and funny for the most part but did not leave me with any lasting thoughts. Both McDormand (of Fargo fame) and Adams are good in their roles.
Enoyable return to old fashioned rom-com
posted on 01 Jul 2009Frances McDormand stars in this period romantic comedy-drama, set just before the start of WWII. She plays a governess whose unwavering moral standpoint has caused her to become unemployable so she blags her way into another position, which turns out to be babysitting of an entirely different kind. McDormand is great in an understated performance as the mousy Miss Pettigrew who becomes the mouse who roared as she transforms thanks to the woman who hires her showing her that life is very much what you make of it. In turn, she teaches her young mistress of the value in living each day as if it might be your last, which is given force by the preparations going on around pre-war London. The film covers love, ambition, desperation, need, desire and ably makes light of each in turn, with thought given to each theme as the various ensemble characters introduces each theme. It has a very stage feel to the proceedings, which is no bad thing given the film has a slight over the top feel to it given the comedic entanglements that the various love triangles get involved in. Still, McDormand and Ciaran Hinds give the film gravitas as the only two feeling the impending doom of another World War as the much younger cast care only for drinking, singing, sex and money. The story contains too many elements to make this a truly brilliant film, but the romance is pitched perfectly and there are some great moments to be enjoyed. McDormand shows, once again, what a first rate actress she is and for that alone it's worth a watch, whether it be at the cinema or on the small screen.
Like eating fresh cucumber
posted on 27 Jun 2009"Like eating fresh cucumber", that's how my wife put it, and she was right on the money.If movies were food, "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day" would be fresh cucumber. It doesn't fill up your senses nor or exalt your taste buds with brilliance, but it does leave you feeling lively, refreshed and optimistic. Frances McDormand is great as always, the rest of the cast are all charming in their own way, and they are given plenty of sharp and witty dialogue to work with. In fact, the movie is so dialogue driven. it almost feels like you're watching a stage play.So, yes fresh cucumber, absolutely... and it's almost impossible not to take some pleasure in a movie as innocent and charming as this - even if it doesn't have any real nutritional value.
cute, light-hearted movie
posted on 23 Jun 2009Cute, light-hearted movie with heart, and a lesson for our times! The scene where Amy Adams sings one number had me in tears! I pulled out the Kleenex. The music is the star. It lifted the mood where the film could have turned somber. Nice quality of sound in the theater - I could almost make out the dialog if it weren't for the British accents. The dialog took 2nd place anyway as the sets, the costumes, the production, and the pacing dazzled, and moved the story at a nice a clip, too nice to bore. My friend couldn't make out the dialog but enjoyed it nonetheless! If you want a light-hearted afternoon or evening of entertainment, don't miss this one!
Amy Adams does it again.
posted on 19 Jun 2009This film is just plain fun, the performances by Francis McDormand and Amy Adams carry the film and keep in entertaining throughout. Sure the plot is tired and awfully predictable, but so what, both the scenarios and the caliber of acting in them makes this film a joy to watch. The supporting cast is nothing special but do what is asked of them so their duties of supporting the main characters are fulfilled and they are not a distraction. The look of the film is also great, from the sets to the costumes right down to the feel is spot on to the time period. Amy Adams continues to impress, both this film and Enchanted she has not played the brightest characters but yet she balances these characters so well that they are not just one dimensional and annoying as the could so easily be, but instead are surprisingly likable characters.
Simply irresistible
posted on 17 Jun 2009When I first saw the trailer for Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, I was a little off put, it looked like a movie that I was either going like a lot or really dislike and feel like it was a waste of time. So I saw Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day this morning and I really liked it a lot. Miss Pettigrew is a feel good light hearted romantic comedy, one that we need more of these days. It had bright colors, a fun story, and enchanting actors. Frances McDormand was so brilliant and a lot of fun to watch, she's got such a presence on the silver screen and has still got that magical touch. Amy Adams was just adorable, I really am starting to love her more and more in each movie I see her in, she's just so cute in her role as Delysia. The weird thing is, is that her character could have been such a tramp, but she made it into someone so cute and likable that her and Miss Pettigrew into a great on screen friendship.Miss Pettigrew is a woman in the 1930's who has gone through so much, she's getting fired from one job to the next. But when she sneaks into being a "social secretary" for Delysia Lafosse, a sexy young vixen who is dating three guys at the same time. But she just wants to have the lead role in the local play and become a huge actress, but it's hard balancing these boys, but with Miss Pettigrew, she realizes that she might just be in love with a great man. Miss Pettigrew in the mean time catches the eye of a handsome rich man, Joe, who may just change her life.Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is a charming film and is one of the better films of 2008. I know that it's a bit predictable and it's a chick flick, but it's just a fun movie that I'm sure you'll like. It doesn't try too hard and the actors looked like they had such a great time making this movie. I would recommend Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, it's worth the watch. It's a nice romantic comedy that's original, clean, and fun. It brought me back to the classic movies of the 1950's where they were just fun entertainment, the colors and the feel of movie was just enchanting.8/10
One serendipitous day in the (previously dull) life of Miss Pettigrew
posted on 26 May 2009An altogether charming yarn. The acting is first-rate and the story keeps you interested. The cast is well-chosen; Frances McDormand and Amy Adams are much fun to watch. Although I've seen Ciaran Hinds before, this is the first time I have made a note to find out who he is. He is an excellent actor in a subtle, enjoyable role here. The story is unwoven in a fun fashion and Ms. McDormand allows the viewer to discover who her character is and what she is thinking at a very pleasing pace. Amy Adams plays the ambitious tart, Delysia, to the utmost for laughs and general interest and also delivers a very nice duet (she's a singer) with Lee Pace, her on again/off again boyfriend Michael. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a good story with characters that you actually care about.
Featherheads? Miss Pettigrew just misses
posted on 18 May 2009An aficionado of music and styles of the 30's and 40's, I couldn't wait to see this movie and was ready to love it. So many elements were there - the premise, the characters, flawless casting from the leads to the supporting actors, and evocative and charming look and sound. But for a truly engaging "screwball comedy with a heart" the story and dialogue were often painfully clumsy. Worse, drawn-out mugging by the usually wonderful McDormand and Adams (in supposedly farcical situations) wasn't funny and made the pace positively lurch along, clearly the fault of the direction and editing. By the time there were some enchanting and poignant moments - which only intensified my disappointment over what might have been - the audience seemed frankly bored. They never laughed and filed out at the end with ruefull shrugs. Miss Pettigrew was as pleasant and inoffensive as your great-aunt Mabel, but it should have left everyone wiping a tear while doing a little two-step out the door to the jaunty end-title music. I'm very surprised at the enthusiasm of the majority of the reviewers, but good for them if they enjoyed it.
A funny look at life in the 30's
posted on 14 May 2009This was an endearing comedy, the filmmakers tried to bring back the style of comedies of yesterday, like the comedies with Cary Grant. The film begins with Miss Pettigrew(Frances McDormand who is very good here) an out of luck nanny, who just seemed to make her way to the poor house. But her luck is about to change, when sees a resume of a rich heiress wanting a house cleaner, although it was not for her, but is in need of work, she goes instead. What she is gonna get is a funny mayhem of trying to clean up the messes of singer actress wanna be named the flighty Delysia Lafosse(The amazing Amy Adams). And that is all i'm gonna say. But it is a very fun light comedy that you should see, if you are in the mood for it. Frances McDomand and Amy Adams are like the perfect team.
Finally a movie worth watching
posted on 06 May 2009I am one of those strange people that has seen more movies then is good for them and this movie is a reason that I am glad that I have done so. I look for movies that has something to say that not only increase oneself in its own entertainment but also that instill in a person that cares to enjoy the 2 hour experience something that they can turn around and say when they are finished that they have learned to be a better existence once they are done with it, and I am glad to say that this movie is among them. This movie instills all of the values and reasoning that I have come to enjoy in a movie and in that I can say that in that it was a well deserved and well sought after experience. I can not speak for everyone but my wife and I enjoyed it immensely and I hope that this potential experience may be shared by yourself as well. The format of the interdependencies of the relationships in the movie reminds me a lot of the works of Shakespeare with the many well written interconnecting sub plots between the different people that Mrs Pettigrew is introduced to. The format is a lot like being caught in a hurricane with Mrs Pettigrew starting in the eye of the storm slowly moving as she stays still. You are watching all of these existences acts of will continuing on and the entire time Mrs Pettigrew is the eye from which we see out into the world waiting for someone else to turn around and act as a mirror to look back at you through her and gladly in the end someone does with a very happy ending.
Feast for the Senses
posted on 04 May 2009A lot of movie going these days, at least for me, is having seen the best a film has to offer in the television clips/ads. Compare the feeling to being a fish who gets caught on the hook, is reeled in,and quickly finds out the worm wasn't worth the misery of being captured. In a refreshing turn of fate, this was an exception. I took the bait and was glad I did. It offered up a plush background that quickly brought this viewer in to share the experience with the actors. Amy Adams and Frances McDormand created a complex relationship and I quickly felt empathy with their characters. I want to give special notice to Ciaran HInds as Joe Blumfield. He was magnetically appealing. His quiet reserve as Joe, ruggedly handsome,worldly wise, and debonair, is rarely seen in male roles. Let's have more of this! (Oops, I guess you might have figured me for a guy by my review name, papacorn, but I'm solidly female.) I was truly entertained and even enjoyed the music which is of a type I never particularly liked before. I don't think it's meant for children and I'd definitely recommend parental discretion as suggested by the rating.
Charming piece of fluff
posted on 02 May 2009OK, the plot is at best schmaltzy. It seemed old fashioned, like a Noel Coward play brought to the screen. Actually, that may have been deliberate as the over all theme is how the modern life (i.e., modern in 1939) is not as satisfying as old fashioned values. But the acting and all is so well done that this "happily ever after" story can just be forgiven and enjoyed.Ever since "Fargo," I never miss an opportunity to see a Frances McDormand film. I also learned from this movie that Amy Adams (as Delysia Lafosse, the ingénue part) who appears naked in one scene except for a strategically placed towel, is truly gorgeous and has a beautiful singing voice. (Lee Pace, who plays one of Delysia Lafosse's romantic interests, also has a nice voice.)
Great Satire; Haunting Tour de Force About One Honest Human Being's Power
posted on 02 May 2009"Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day" (2008) I suggest is a 'classic' narrative in the best sense of that word. It is not an overstatement perhaps to say that it owes more to the satirical and often to "screwball" type comedies of the 1930s and 1940s than it does to more recent blatant screen humor. Its true sub-genre is that of the "intruder"--the outsider who enters a situation, one wherein several forces, suitors, parties etc. are living in uneasy limbo between opposition and resolution, and proceeds to change everything by means of some power--skill with a weapon, superior knowledge, a tipping of the balance of powers, or simply honesty where this had been lacking...The story of this film can be stated in one sentence: "Desperately needing work, a woman applies for a nanny's position only to find herself engaged as the social secretary to a madcap U.S. actress trying to juggle three ardent suitors and make a career in the London of the pre-WWII period, who then by her own honesty begins to affect all the parties concerned very strongly." Like the TV series "Barney Miller", and "My Man Godfrey", Winifred Watson's novel, adapted for the screen by David Magee and Simon Beaufoy, presents us during most of the film with a single normative character, everyone else we meet being in some way behaving badly, unreasonably, or worse. As Miss Pettigrew notes, "Love is not a game"; she, however, seems to be the only who who judges the case that way. The presentation I find to be modern, and fluidly directed by Bharat Nalluri; it also benefits from period and original music by Paul Englishby, the well- maintained cinematography of John de Borman, Michael O'Connor's costumes, Katie Spencer's intelligent set decorations. I found the Production Design by Sarah Greenwood and the Art Direction by Nick Gottschalk to be powerful attributes of the film, as much a part of its atmosphere as were the difficult lighting and deliberate but never-flagging pace of the events unfolded. From believable couturiers' shops to a nightclub, an office, outdoor locales, soup kitchens, alleyways and posh bedrooms, the film presents us with a glittering era from its top to its bottom. As the ambitious actress struggling up from humble beginnings, Amy Adams is attractive, smart and never strident no matter how badly she is behaving. The three suitors vary in tone and intensity, but all come across well without any opportunity to do more than to contribute to several interesting scenes apiece; Lee Pace as Michael has the most to do. Stephanie Colt as Miss Holt and Ciaran Hinds as Joe also score impressively, with less to work with. Niall Mulroney as supervising art director also deserves special thanks, as do the hairstyle and makeup experts for their contributions here. This is a well-paced film, whose central star, Frances McDormand, as Miss Pettigrew deserves award consideration as does the film itself. It is memorable, only occasionally bitter, a brilliant indictment of the inter-war generation's heedlessness, a quality the film's makers also comment upon in the similar behaviors of post-1994 youth and others who also should know better. The film I found to be beautiful, satisfying and a little disturbing all at once; I claim (as is "American President"), it is a great satire.
all OVER the place...
posted on 26 Apr 2009when i was deciding on whether to see this or not, i jogged over here to see what the comments were like... somewhat mixed, as usual...but one consistent comment was...'could've been better...'. i decided, b/c of mcdormand, to take a chance. i don't remember a movie that she was in that i didn't enjoy... so it starts and it's going along...and the story ISn't anything exceptional. very predictable, in fact... but, at least for about the first half, it's exceptionally well done...then something happened. i imagine 'behind the scenes'. maybe i'm wrong... but somewhere after the halfway point 'good enough'(considering the acting and the sets...JEEZ! not something i usually notice...but how can you MISS it in this film??? almost enough on their own to make it worthwhile) lost steam after hitting a few potholes... stuff that i wouldn't usually notice(maybe b/c they're not as distracting)...camera angles...the way the story's being told, visually AND literally, goes awry... it wasn't so much trite as unimaginative or poorly conceived... as if they ran out of the little budget they had for the writers to beGIN with... good acting couldn't save it, i'm sorry to say... it's funny b/c after the first half i was thinking, 'what do people WANT/expect??? average story, well done... i thought i'd have 'WHAT no car chases?' in the summary...as a rub for the hard to satisfy...make jokes about the lack of gore, etc... half wit that i was...
A very nice one...
posted on 20 Apr 2009Well, this was quite good. It started well and it didn't lose a bit of that feeling you have when you are seeing a very good movie that take place at the 1940s. The music was excellent, reminding me a little of the sound of "The swing kids". I enjoy the story, the characters and of course the acting from the first to the last one was fantastic. The colors of the movie are very warm and with the sense of a romantic adventure of a poor lady getting herself into a story way out of her life, ending out to bring the redemption for the amazing people that she meet, leaves you with a wonderful feeling of how people can find the true love or the fake money... A very enjoyable UK film for the nicest years of America, I think.
Pointless
posted on 10 Apr 2009It's really hard to fill 10 lines with a comment about this complete dirge of a film. 7.3? I thought it might be OK, I was so wrong. Frenetic, ridiculous, pointless, boring, terrible and pointless. I did say pointless twice. The only redeeming feature is the excellent art department work, oh and the catering was probably quite good; both wasted however on these useless, pantomime performances - somebody shoot Delysia Lafosse.I'm angry. 90 minutes of my life that aren't coming back. It's a shame that the dramatic air-raid that was alluded to didn't blitz this turgid affair.Very, very poor. avoid.
Not for me...
posted on 04 Apr 2009I see literally hundreds of films from the 30's and I'm sorry. This film does not have what I call the "Ring of Truth". The music jumps from recreations of period music to the real music. I also thought it odd to film in England and use so many, at least what I thought were, American Actors trying to do English Accents. I was not impressed. However, I must tell you, I'm a projectionist in a theatre, and I'm running the last half right now and this is my second day and I am trying to give it a chance. It's very hard to hear all the Dialogue as a Projectionist and so I will rent it some day on DVD and look at it with my wife who is 74 in our living room theatre and see what she thinks.
Loved it!
posted on 30 Aug 2009I kind of started watching the movie because it started Amy Adams. I was rewarded to find she looks loveliest in this movie. But the film itself was really nice.Basically it is like a filmed British play set during the interbellic period in London. A perfectly ordinary woman stumbles into the hypocritical world of glamour fashion and popular plays and brings some common sense into it. As already exposed by other commenters, she is rewarded in the end with finding true love, but I personally think that it was the weak point of the story. Even if it makes the viewer feel good to see the positive character get a reward in the end, it is hardly what would have happened and a bit childish. But not Hollywood style... it's still believable enough :)I really enjoyed the set, the acting and the overall atmosphere of the film. Even if it has a very small active cast, the story is powerful, the dialogues witty without slipping into vulgar comedy and the whole experience of the movie was very pleasant for me. I recommend it highly.