Robin Wright Penn, Mike Binder, Alan Arkin, Winona Ryder, Maria Bello ...( see more  see more... ) , Keanu Reeves , Blake Lively , Adam Shonkwiler , Julianne Moore , Monica Bellucci , Zoe Kazan

At fifty, Pippa Lee positively glows with female serenity, the devoted wife of a brilliant publisher thirty years her senior, proud mother of successful twins and a lovely and adored friend and neighb...( read more  read more... )or. But, when her husband spontaneously decides that they should leave New York for a retirement home as a "pre-emptive strike against decrepitude," and has an affair with someone even younger than she is, Pippa finds her beatific persona unraveling in alarming ways. The truth is, the gracious woman of the present day has seen more than her fair share of the wild side. She has finally found love and security in a family of her own. And now, that cozy world, too, is in danger.

Flixster Users

56% liked it

13,912 ratings

Critics

68% liked it

68 critics

R, 1 hr. 39 min.

Directed by: Rebecca Miller

Release Date: November 27, 2009

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DVD Release Date: March 2, 2010

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Stats: 310 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (310)


  • December 3, 2009
    Amongst the big late fall and winter releases is the quiet American release of "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee", an engaging drama with a terrific female-driven ensemble. Robin Wright Penn is the title character, and her work here could be considered a potential darkhorse for an ...( read more)Academy Award nomination. More significantly, this performance will hopefully be the catalyst for meatier roles to come from the underrated actress.

    Pippa, in her late 40s, is married to a man thirty years her senior, Herb (Alan Arkin). Herb's a publisher with severe health problems, and he reluctantly accepts Pippa as a caretaker when the couple moves into a nice Connecticut retirement community. The couple has two older children, Ben (Ryan McDonald) and Grace (Zoe Kazan), who witness their mother going through a sort of midlife crisis.

    As we're introduced to Pippa's current-day struggles, writer/director Rebecca Miller takes us back to her early years in order to grasp what has driven her. She (played as a teen by Blake Lively) was raised by a fiery, drug-addicted mother (Maria Bello, intense as ever), and eventually left home because of it. Her next household was her aunt's, but things take a surprising turn when she discovers that her aunt is a lesbian, and her girlfriend, Kat (Julianne Moore), is anxious to feature Pippa in an S&M photography session. Pippa, desperate for the attention, accepts the invitation with pleasure.

    To delve any further into the plot would spoil the pleasantries the film has to offer. The ensemble is well-balanced, allowing each character their revealing moments, and director Rebecca Miller doesn't intrude on the proceedings at all. This is partially to the film's detriment as it consistently feels low-key and small, but Miller is smart enough to keep the rather melodramatic narrative far from Lifetime material.

    "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee" is a charming drama with a thoroughly likable cast. Keanu Reeves even shows up with - wait for it - an enormous tattoo of Jesus enveloping his chest. Miller, who adapted from her own novel, paces the material well and only cautiously succumbs to overly sentimental moments in the third act. You'll have to look for it, but "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee" is well worth seeking out.
  • November 22, 2009
    Witty, charming, raw and comical, "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee" struck me for being *real*. It captures the messiness and the complexity of life but isn't a downer; you don't feel like you're in search of Zoloft afterward. I really liked it!
  • November 16, 2009
    I must say, even though it's not a fascination, I'm an admirer of Rebecca Miller's work. She's a bold filmmaker who doesn't fear to take on difficult themes, always demanding viewer's full attention, in exchange respecting one's intelligence. "The Private Live of Pippa Lee" may b...( read more)e her finest work to date - she gathered a wonderful cast, wrote a thought-provoking story, giving us a mature, contemplative piece of cinema, filled with laughter, sadness and pain, reflecting the life, as we experience it.

    Robin Wright Penn deserves much, much more praise than she's usually given, being somewhat in the shadow of her famous husband. Beautifully written character Pippa Lee must've been a dream come true for a grown up actress and Penn made the best of it!
  • November 7, 2009
    Showcase for mature female actors who must have leapt at the chance of the prime roles on offer here. Undoubtedly the role of Penn's distinguished career, she rises to the challenge of portraying a multilayered fully formed person with all the inconsistencies and peculiarities t...( read more)hat entails. Even Reeves is on form, as is often the case when he isn't center stage. Don't overlook this sleeper hit.
  • February 4, 2010
    Not the kind of movie I would usually watch. Not so bad, though.
  • February 8, 2010
    in the end, you would like to be happy with ur lives..
    great movie..
  • January 31, 2010
    Great cast, great drama. Sometimes I lost interest though...it was missing something,
  • January 22, 2010
    Alan Arkin is one of my all-time favourite actors, and who can resist Keanu Reeves doing an off-the-wall cameo? This is the first time I've noticed Blake Lively in anything... will be interested to see how she develops as an actor :)
  • January 4, 2010
    Flixter Users and 13,611 ratings - 56% liked it - maybe I would also
  • January 4, 2010
    ROBIN WRIGHT PENN, ALAN ARKIN, BLAKE LIVELY, MARIA BELLO, KEANU REEVES, WINONA RYDER, JULIANNE MOORE, MIKE BINDER

    At fifty, Pippa Lee positively glows with female serenity, the devoted wife of a brilliant publisher thirty years her senior, proud mother of successful twins and ...( read more)a lovely and adored friend and neighbor. But, when her husband spontaneously decides that they should leave New York for a retirement home as a "pre-emptive strike against decrepitude," and has an affair with someone even younger than she is, Pippa finds her beatific persona unraveling in alarming ways. The truth is, the gracious woman of the present day has seen more than her fair share of the wild side. She has finally found love and security in a family of her own. And now, that cozy world, too, is in danger.
    What a great, well acted, and well done movie. I was intrigued with the story, and all of it's character's. Robin Wright Penn, was absolutely fantastic in this film. I was also impressed with Blake Lively. She was really good at portraying the younger self of 'Pippa Lee'. The movie is a roller coaster of emotions. It has you laughing, crying, and feeling extremely as mixed up as the main character. It brought me in and made me feel for the characters. Just one of the better films I have seen. Loved Maria Bello, in this. Thought she was amazing. Winona Ryder, was great as a very disturbed, depressed individual. It's like, I wanted to feel bad for her, but it was more comical for me then sad. Keanu Reeves, really gives a good performance too, which I haven't seen from him in a long while. Julianne Moore was awesome. Nice to see her doing something very different even if she's in the film for a short period of a time. I don't need to say how good and fabulous Alan Arkin, was. It is a given. He is always brilliant. Best performance since 'Little Miss Sunshine'. The movie has a strong female presence, but I think it's a great watch for all. Thought the balance between the past and the present was done smart. But that is what it ends up being, a smart movie. Definitely recommend it.

Critic Reviews


January 21, 2010
Colin Covert, The Minneapolis Star Tribune

The movie has the busy-aimless feeling of a cocktail party rather than a rigorously constructed drama. Interesting people drift through, anecdotes are shared, attention shifts here and there, and abru... full review

December 4, 2009
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

Awkward in ways both intended and not. full review

November 30, 2009
A.O. Scott, At the Movies

I was interested in the characters and situations, but I was not absorbed. full review

November 29, 2009
Claudia Puig, USA Today

Wright gives the title character a complexity and emotional shading often missing in this kind of ensemble comedy/drama. full review

July 10, 2009
Nigel Andrews, The Financial Times

A brittle, sometimes funny study in fragmentation. full review

View more The Private Lives of Pippa Lee reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • michellefortuin
    August 3, 2009
    Interesting movie. The story is sometimes a little bit boring, but the acting is really great.
    I think The Private Lives Of Pippa Lee is a bit a sad movie, like for example French movies often are as well, and I don't like that very much. But that's just my opinion.
    It's not a masterpiece, but definitely a beautiful movie.
  • Claudia483
    March 26, 2009
    wow! alot of famous actors in this

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