Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (2008)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Bharat Nalluri

Writers (WGA):

David Magee (screenplay) and
Simon Beaufoy (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

27 March 2008 (Hong Kong)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Every Woman Will Have Her Day

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Beauty Salon | Concealed Nudity | Jazz Score | Bathtub Scene | Jazz Music

Cast

Amy Adams	...	Delysia
David Alexander	...	Chestnut Seller
Clare Clifford	...	Margery
Christina Cole	...	Charlotte Warren
Stephanie Cole	...	Miss Holt
Beatie Edney	...	Mrs. Brummegan
Shirley Henderson	...	Edythe
Ciarán Hinds	...	Joe
Sarah Kants	...	Annabel Darlington
Sally Leonard	...	Woman at Train Station
Frances McDormand	...	Miss Pettigrew
Katy Murphy	...	Miss Holt's Assistant
Lee Pace	...	Michael
Tom Payne	...	Phil
Tim Potter	...	Nightclub Patron

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some partial nudity and innuendo.

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:PG | USA:PG-13 (certificate #43967) | Hong Kong:IIA | Finland:K-7 | UK:PG | South Korea:12 | Ireland:PG | New Zealand:PG | Netherlands:6 | South Africa:PG

Filming Locations:

Ealing Studios, Ealing, London, England, UK

Company:

Keylight Entertainment Group

Trivia:

'Francis McDormand''s character Guinevere Pettigrew claims to be raised by a clergyman, when in real life, McDormand's adoptive father is Canadian minister Vernan McDormand.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene on the balcony at the party, Miss Pettigrew's drink changes from about one-third full to empty in an instant, just before Joe offers to refill it for her.

Quotes:

Delysia: However did you get in?
Michael: One picks up a few tricks in prison, you know, breaking and entering being one of them.

Movie Connections:

References Four's a Crowd (1938)

An art deco treat for the senses

Cute 30's-style story, but the best thing about this film was the art deco sets, the best art deco work I have seen since the real deco films of of the 30's. I almost forgot the story at times while looking at the gorgeous deco details in almost every scene. What a knockout apartment Amy Adam's character had, and the Savoy Hotel, wow again! Stunning, both.

As the story has been detailed many times here, I won't, except for this.....it was a combination of Cinderella, My Fair Lady, and many others showing rags to riches development of the star, along with a prince-in-hand, happy ending. The story was madcap, with Amy Adams' flashing star power and smile moving it along at the same breakneck speed she went through the men in her life. Frances McDormand played an unemployed, dowdy nanny turned Adams' "social secretary" by hook and by crook deception, and underplayed her part with great reserve and dignity even in the face of possibly having to live on the street again. Wonderful parts for both talents and both ran with them. Very entertaining film and a real treat for the senses as it also had beautiful camera-work to show off those fantastic deco sets.

If you miss the style, fashion and flair of those '30's nightclub films with big stars like Carole Lombard and Clark Gable, see this one and feel like you went back 70 years to the grand old age of "style" film-making.