Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (2007)
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77% of critics liked it
(143 reviews) -
69% of users liked it
(80,444 ratings)
A late-'30s-era London governess hired to work in the home of a high-profile nightclub chanteuse gets a taste of the good life when she is assigned the task of sorting out the singer's many unseemly affairs in a period comedy starring Frances McDormand and adapted from the novel by Winifred… More A late-'30s-era London governess hired to work in the home of a high-profile nightclub chanteuse gets a taste of the good life when she is assigned the task of sorting out the singer's many unseemly affairs in a period comedy starring Frances McDormand and adapted from the novel by Winifred Watson. Unfairly and unceremoniously dismissed from her latest position without so much as a penny of severance pay, Miss Guinevere Pettigrew (McDormand) realizes that in order to stay financially afloat she'll need to find a new job fast. Though she has worn out her welcome at the unemployment office due to her propensity to loose jobs, she's determined to seize the day and keep an open mind. Before she's booted from the office, she takes note of a job opening that is a little outside of her experience, but decides to pursue it, pretending she is the prospective employee the office was planning to recommend. Becoming a "social secretary" may not be exactly what Miss Pettigrew had in mind when the time came to seek out a new job, yet she hopes that her enthusiasm will offset her inexperience and throws caution to the wind. Upon arriving at the penthouse of up-and-coming American entertainer Delysia Lafosse (Amy Adams), the unassuming Miss Pettigrew becomes instantly swept up in the high-society milieu. But serving as social secretary to one of the busiest women in the city is no easy task, and before the day is over, Miss Pettigrew and her new charge will both learn a thing or two about life and love. Now, as Miss Pettigrew helps Delysia make informed career decisions and choose between one of three potential suitors, her own attraction to a handsome clothing designer named Joe (Ciarán Hands) could prove her undoing. Joe's current fiancée, Edythe (Shirley Henderson), is an insolent fashion maven with little patience for those she deems incompetent or unworthy of the spotlight, and she currently has her targets locked onto a certain social secretary who doesn't yet grasp the complex social mechanisms of the high-society lifestyle. Simon Beaufoy and David Magee co-author a screenplay directed by Bharat Nalluri. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Directed By
- Bharat Nalluri
- Written By
- David Magee, Simon Beaufoy
- Genres
- Drama, Comedy
- In Theaters
- Mar 7, 2008 Wide
- Studio
- Focus Features
Critic Reviews
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Anna Smith, Time Out
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.
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Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
[Ciaran Hinds is] a terrific character actor, and he actually gets to play somewhat of a romantic lead in the story with Frances McDormand, which I thought was so sweet and gave this film just a little bit of gravity.
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Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal
At least Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day has the good grace to go wrong quickly; you don't have to sit there squirming with doubt.
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Claudia Puig, USA Today
Based on the 1938 novel by Winifred Watson, Miss Pettigrew is a veritable treat. Wisely cast, this handsome production is a delightful farcical fairy tale, bolstered by moments of depth and emotion.
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Philip Marchand, Toronto Star
You can't criticize a soufflé for not being a side of beef.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Frances McDormand
as Miss Guinevere Pettigrew
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Amy Adams
as Delysia Lafosse
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Lee Pace
as Michael
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Ciarán Hinds
as Joe
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Shirley Henderson
as Edythe
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Tom Payne
as Phil
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Mark Strong
as Nick
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Clare Clifford
as Margery
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Sarah Kants
as Annabel Darlington
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Christina Cole
as Charlotte Warren
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Stephanie Cole
as Miss Holt
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Beatie Edney
as Mrs. Brummegan
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Matthew Ryan
as Gerry
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Mo Zainal
as Lenny
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Katy Murphy
as Miss Holt's Assistant
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Sally Leonard
as Woman at Train Station
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Tim Potter
as Nightclub Patron
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David Alexander
as Chestnut Seller





