The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (2009)
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67% of critics liked it
(73 reviews) -
49% of users liked it
(17,430 ratings)
Rebecca Miller (The Ballad of Jack & Rose) adapts her own novel with this comedy drama about a woman who begins a second life after her husband leaves her for a younger woman. Pippa Lee (Robin Wright) is the loving mother of two grown children, and the wife of successful publisher Herb (Alan Arkin).… More Rebecca Miller (The Ballad of Jack & Rose) adapts her own novel with this comedy drama about a woman who begins a second life after her husband leaves her for a younger woman. Pippa Lee (Robin Wright) is the loving mother of two grown children, and the wife of successful publisher Herb (Alan Arkin). Despite the fact that she's 30 years Herb's junior, Pippa and her husband have never fallen short on things to talk about. She's always enjoyed the hustle and bustle of New York, but after Herb suffers a serious heart attack, Pippa dutifully moves with him to a quaint suburban home in small-town Connecticut. And for a while, at least, she coasts -- enjoying frequent dinner parties with her new friends Sam (Mike Binder) and Sandra (Winona Ryder), and spending quiet nights caring for Herb, who has lately grown increasingly distant. That all starts to change when Chris (Keanu Reeves) comes back to town following a bitter divorce. Gradually, Pippa's suppressed resentments begin bubbling to the surface, highlighting the conflict between the free-spirited girl she used to be and the frustrated woman who has taken her place. Somewhere along the line, Pippa lost track of her own identity. But Pippa's remarkable journey of self-discovery is just beginning. Julianne Moore, Monica Bellucci, Maria Bello, and Blake Lively co-star in a Plan B Entertainment production. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Directed By
- Rebecca Miller
- Written By
- Rebecca Miller
- Genres
- Drama, Comedy
- In Theaters
- Nov 27, 2009 Wide
- On DVD
- Mar 2, 2010
- Studio
- Screen Media Films
Critic Reviews
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Ian Buckwalter, NPR
As a woman under the influence of everyone but herself, Pippa often feels lost when she's on her own - a blank slate with no one holding a chalk - Robin Wright Penn allows us to get to know a character who still doesn't really know herself.
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Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald
There's a deliberate quality to the storytelling that makes the movie drag in many scenes; and yet, numerous characters flit by that we don't have time to really meet.
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Colin Covert, 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 abruptly it's time to go.
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Jonathan F. Richards, Film.com
A superb performance by Robin Wright Penn illuminates Rebecca Miller's intelligent and revealing look at the inner wild child beneath a 50-ish Connecticut matron.
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Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail
Awkward in ways both intended and not.
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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Robin Wright
as Pippa Lee
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Blake Lively
as Young Pippa
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Alan Arkin
as Herb Lee
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Keanu Reeves
as Chris Nadeau
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Maria Bello
as Suky Sarkissian
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Zoe Kazan
as Grace Lee
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Winona Ryder
as Sandra Dulles
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Mike Binder
as Sam Shapiro
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Monica Bellucci
as Gigi Lee
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Ryan McDonald
as Ben Lee
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Julianne Moore
as Kat
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Shirley Knight
as Dot
- Tim Guinee
- Robin Weigert




