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Movies / On DVD / Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

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Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (2008)

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Reviews Counted: 137

Fresh: 106

Rotten:31

Average Rating: 6.6/10

Consensus: Miss Pettigrew is a breezy period comedy carried by the strong performances of Amy Adams and Frances McDormand.

Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for some partial nudity and innuendo.

Runtime: 1 hr 32 mins

Genre: Comedies

Theatrical Release:Mar 7, 2008 Limited

Box Office: $12,294,036

Synopsis: As in MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS and BEING JULIA, this period comedy brings wit and style to its depiction of 1930s London. Based on Winifred Watson's novel, MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY begins with... As in MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS and BEING JULIA, this period comedy brings wit and style to its depiction of 1930s London. Based on Winifred Watson's novel, MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY begins with the title character, a frumpy middle-aged governess winningly played by Frances McDormand (FARGO), being turned away from her employment agency. After losing her job prospects and all her earthly possessions in a mishap, Guinevere Pettigrew isn't sure where her next meal is coming from. But some cleverness leads her to the door of aspiring actress Delysia Lafosse, who needs a social secretary to juggle her three men: a nightclub owner (Mark Strong), a son of a theater producer (Tom Payne), and a piano player (Lee Pace). The first two offer her a chance at stardom, but the pianist can't give her anything but love. In a single day, Miss Pettigrew helps Delysia navigate the ever-stormy waters of love, while she learns that romance may not only be reserved for the young. With its witty script and jazzy score, MISS PETTIGREW may seem feather-light at times, but there's an undercurrent of sadness that gives the comedy a bit of weight. World War II is just about to come to London, and the echoes of the previous war still haunt those who can remember it. Unsurprisingly, McDormand gives a fantastic performance as the title character, but the effervescent Adams continues to surprise, even after turning in great work in JUNEBUG and ENCHANTED. As impressive as the two female leads are, there are some excellent performances from two male costars: Ciáran Hinds (MARGOT AT THE WEDDING) is perfectly warm as a lingerie designer Miss Pettigrew encounters, and Pace (PUSHING DAISIES) wins hearts as the faithful Michael. Costume designer Michael O'Connor also deserves praise for creating the film's eye-catching clothing. [More]

Starring: Frances McDormand, Amy Adams, Lee Pace, Ciaran Hinds

Starring: Frances McDormand, Amy Adams, Lee Pace, Ciaran Hinds, Shirley Henderson, Mark Strong

Director: Bharat Nalluri

Director: Bharat Nalluri
Screenwriter: David Magee, Simon Beaufoy
Producer: Nellie Bellflower, Stephen Garrett
Composer: Paul Englishby
Studio: Focus Features

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Release:

Aug 19, 2008

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Reviews for Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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A valentine to a by-gone era; one of the ten best films of 2008

Full Review Source: Orange County and Long Beach Blade | comment Comment
02/27/09
Fr. Chris Carpenter
Orange County and Long Beach Blade

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is a well-acted comedy with enough old-fashioned qualities to make it an enjoyable experience for long-standing audiences.

Full Review Source: Fayetteville Free Weekly | comment Comment
02/02/09
Tony Macklin
Fayetteville Free Weekly

The spectre of impending war hangs heavily in the background of this romantic comedy, giving it a bit more heft.

Full Review Source: Laramie Movie Scope | comment Comment
09/17/08
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope

Period comedies are a tough act to swallow for some, but if you are on the fence at all, please make sure Miss Pettigrew lives for more than just one day."

Full Review Source: The Scorecard Review | comment Comment
08/27/08
Jeff Bayer
The Scorecard Review

There's not a lot to it really--no deep underlying message other than an exploration of women's roles in society at the time.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
08/15/08
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

In short, Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day is fluffy and forgettable, but it's also undeniably entertaining, thanks to pacey direction and delightful performances from McDormand and Adams.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
08/15/08
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

McDormand is left trying for emotional depth in a sea of middling farce and semi-sophisticated comedy.

Full Review Source: This is London | comment Comment
08/15/08
Derek Malcolm
This is London

It's lucky that Amy Adams and Frances McDormand lend their best charms to Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day, otherwise this featherweight Art Deco fancy might drift away like a soap bubble, and go 'pop!'

Full Review Source: Independent | comment Comment
08/15/08
Anthony Quinn
Independent

American Lee Pace, from TV’s Pushing Daisies, manages not one but several creditable English accents, sometimes unfortunately all in the same sentence, but whose emotional depth shows up this ball of fluff as insubstantial. Forgettable.

Full Review Source: Financial Times | comment Comment
08/15/08
Martin Hoyle
Financial Times

The laughs are gentle but regular and all roles are played brilliantly, especially McDormand and the gorgeous Amy Adams as Delysia. Miss Pettigrew is 90 minutes of charming escapism – a perfect movie for mums.

Full Review Source: Sun Online | comment Comment
08/15/08
Sun Online

Making a film usually involves a script, a director and a budget. Miss Pettigrew, on the other hand, is so unbelievably frothy, it looks as if it was prepared using merely a bucket of warm water and some soap flakes.

Full Review Source: Daily Mirror [UK] | comment Comment
08/15/08
David Edwards
Daily Mirror [UK]

I can't imagine it appealing much to anyone below the age of 70. It offers a stale, rather than nostalgic, whiff of brilliantine and moth-eaten antimacassars.

Full Review Source: Daily Mail [UK] | comment Comment
08/15/08
Daily Mail [UK]

Stagey fluff, yes, but old romantics will spare a sigh for the fairytale fade-out.

Full Review Source: Total Film | comment Comment
08/15/08
Matthew Leyland
Total Film

They don't make them like that anymore? Well, no. But Miss Pettigrew makes for a fun, fluffy substitute.

Full Review Source: Sky Movies | comment Comment
08/15/08
Ruth Ford
Sky Movies

Despite its limitations, I found it impossible to dislike this frail little tale.

Full Review Source: Daily Telegraph | comment Comment
08/15/08
Jenny McCartney
Daily Telegraph

McDormand is frankly bland and unresponsive in a role she clearly couldn't care less about; Adams's wide-eyed ingenue routine is on autopilot, and the whole thing looks like a sub-prime American TV movie.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
08/15/08
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]

It’s a squirming watch, at times quite tortuous because the film can never decide if it’s a musical or a play with far too much music.

Full Review Source: Times [UK] | comment Comment
08/15/08
James Christopher
Times [UK]

A gentle period piece that will look more comfortable on the small screen.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
08/15/08
Neil Smith
Channel 4 Film

Adams is adorable as the wide-eyed would-be starlet, with McDormand spot-on as the sensible half of the odd couple. A delightfully frivolous screwball comedy.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
08/15/08
Anna Smith
Time Out

A charming 1930s Cinderella meets Sex And The City, only faster, funnier and male-friendly, with some depths in its subtler observations of morality.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
08/15/08
Angie Errigo
Empire Magazine
 
 
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