What Do The Critics Say?

"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." Richard Roeper EBERT & ROEPER "The era, costumes, sets and music make Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day feel like a classic film of the 1930s or 40s in which comedy mixed with drama and the end came too quickly." Diana Saenger REVIEW EXPRESS "This nostalgic Cinderella story starring Hollywood's scandalously underutilized treasure is a jubilee for McDormand and jolly good fun for most everyone else." Carrie Rickey PHILADELPHIA ENQUIRER "It’s about time somebody brought the wide-eyed wonder back to movies, and it’s wonder indeed we experience whenever we get to witness the divine Ms. Adams at work." Steve Schneider ORLANDO WEEKLY "Thank goodness someone thought to cast McDormand and Adams in a movie together." Jim Lane SACRAMENTO NEWS & REVIEW "An effervescent romantic comedy that sparkles and delights." Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat SPIRITUALITY & PRACTICE "Miss Pettigrew is a veritable treat. Wisely cast, this handsome production is a delightful farcical fairy tale, bolstered by moments of depth and emotion." Claudia Puig USA TODAY

"Frothy and exuberantly entertaining, in part because of the sexual innuendoes: it's the best romantic comedy so far this year. Director Bharat Nalluri gives "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day" the patina of a film actually made in the 1930s, when audiences couldn't get enough of the lifestyles of the rich. "Miss Pettigrew" is a swell adaptation of Winifred Watson's 1938 novel, which was risque for its time but just right for ours." Ruthe Stein SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE "A perfect example of how you can make a quick-witted, funny movie and still throw in a bit of raunchiness with taste." Willie Waffle WAFFLE REVIEWS "A lot of actresses might have shrunk from the challenge of matching her performance, but McDormand is terrific." Jeff Vice DESERET NEWS "A snappy adaptation of a nearly forgotten 1938 British novel. Madcap chorines, long-suffering domestics, a giddy playboy foolishly sinking Daddy's money into a show: it's all here, along with a happy ending." Stephen Whitty NEWARK STAR-LEDGER "Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day is a madcap story about true love, ambition and identity set against a background of impending war. It's based on the 1938 novel by Winifred Watson, and it's quick, witty and charming throughout." Liz Braun JAM! MOVIES "Amy Adams is strawberry bubble gum and doesn't just chase after the performance, she boards it like a rocket and blasts off. It's equal parts adorability, cunning allure, and million-dollar charm. "Pettigrew" is an actor's picture, and with McDormand and Adams guiding the show, there's little room for disappointment. "Miss Pettigrew" is intelligent, captivating and manages to avoid the common pitfalls, culminating in something actually quite special." Brian Orndorf OHMYNEWS

The Inside Story What does it take to bring together one of the film industry’s most respected actresses and one of its rising stars? "A fairy tale for adults," says director Bharat Nalluri of "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day", which teams Academy Award winning actress Frances McDormand ("Fargo") with Independent Spirit Award winner Amy Adams ("Junebug"). Academy Award-winning McDormand (Best Actress in a Leading Role 1997) says, "This is a stylish and entertaining story about making choices and living with the consequences: and right away I could clearly see myself playing the title role." Adams, who was recently seen starring alongside Patrick Dempsey and Academy Award winning actress Suan Sarandon in ("Dead Man Walking" 1966) in the hit movie "Enchanted, adds that the film "is a female-driven story that originated from a female perspective; the journey is about finding out what, and who, is right for you, what is truly best for you, and about being true to yourself even as you step outside of your comfort zone." The film takes place in the London of 1939, as re-created by the filmmakers on location in the UK, including at the storied Ealing Studios. As the oldest film studio site in the world, Ealing itself was a vital part of London in 1939. Also part of the arts scene at the time was author Winifred Watson (1907-2002). First published in 1938, the novel Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day was written by her. The author wrote six novels in total and "was a bit ahead of her time," says producer Stephen Garrett ("Eastern Promises"). "Her books were about women changing their lives, flouting convention, and addressing class tensions and extramarital sex." Her other works (more dramatic than Miss Pettigrew) were well-reviewed and popular. But writing was phased out of her life during World War II and the concurrent and subsequent commitment to her husband and newborn son. "My father and I tried to get her to write again, but she wouldn’t," her son Keith Pickering remembers. "She told me she had written "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day" in six weeks, from start to finish. She would go over dialogue in her mind while she was washing dishes, and then write after finishing the dishes. She knew it was a winner, and she was absolutely right." Producer Nellie Bellflower ("Finding Neverland") offers that "the power of Winifred Watson’s story lies in its ability to make the reader happily believe that anything might be possible." The novel had very nearly made it to the big screen once before; Universal Studios had optioned the successful book with plans to make it into a movie musical with a top star of the time, the late Billie Burke (7/8/1884 - 14/5/1970), as Miss Pettigrew. But WWII spurred Universal to make different and more serious movies, and so the tale awaited rediscovery as a viable motion picture. In 2000, Watson herself was rediscovered by the London publishing company Persephone Books, which reprinted "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day" to renewed critical praise. The Guardian asked, "Why has it taken more than half a century for this wonderful flight of humour to be rediscovered?" The Daily Mail cited the book’s message "that everyone, no matter how poor or prim or neglected, has a second chance to blossom in the world." The author herself enjoyed the renewed attention, finding it all "rather nice," and citing the novel as her favourite of her works. At the time Watson was reported as having said: "I always had a fondness for Miss Pettigrew." Garrett, who first came across the story when he read a synopsis in The Bookseller, notes: "Miss Pettigrew embodies the dashed hopes and expectations of anyone whose life hasn’t quite worked out as they might have hoped it would. Miss Pettigrew couldn’t be further removed from my own life experiences, but when I finished reading her story I thought the world a better place. I wanted to make a film which could capture that spirit and have that effect on audiences." Garrett optioned the film rights, and was subsequently introduced to Bellflower, who was in London for production on "Finding Neverland" with that film’s screenwriter David Magee. The producer found herself thinking even further ahead when she read Watson’s book on a plane back to New York City, and quickly joined Garrett in working to bring Miss Pettigrew’s tale to the screen at last. "I fell in love with it. This had everything you would want a story to have. The story is a little sexy, a lot of fun, and a classic Cinderella tale: but there are two Cinderellas; Miss Pettigrew and Delysia. They cross each other’s paths at a moment in time when each is open enough to move in the other’s direction. Their circumstances are so different, and yet they are so much the same: we learn that they have more in common than they appear to." When it came to the lead role, Bellflower recalls saying, "This part is for Frances McDormand." Once back in New York, she gave the book to the McDormand's managers. "They loved it and then Frances told me she wanted to play the role," the producer recalls, "and this was before we had a director or a script." When it came to the screenplay, Bellflower revealed she "knew that David would bring a very human understanding of the characters to it." "I’m not British, so I wasn’t at all sure I was right for it. I kept telling Nellie I’d get around to reading the book that she’d sent over. When I did start reading it, I couldn’t stop because I fell in love with Miss Pettigrew and Delysia," says Magee who notes both are "two incredibly resourceful women." Bellflower found the project its financing and studio partner in Focus Features. As the development process continued, Garrett’s partner Paul Webster joined as executive producer. Bharat Nalluri was brought on as director. "Having just gotten engaged myself, I wanted to explore love and the choices we make in terms of who we end up with, and this story does that so beautifully. The story may take place in 1939, but these are characters we can all recognize," he said. "Reading the book, I felt that Winifred Watson was telling us about women who in fact exist," notes McDormand. "Frances knew the character, and what she wanted to do with the role. She’s wonderful as Guinevere," says Magee. "There could have been no other Miss Pettigrew," says Garrett. "It was inconceivable that anyone else could have played the role. Had we lost her for any reason, the project would have collapsed. As it was, she patiently stayed the development course with us." "Frances brings an honesty and truth to the role," says Nalluri. "This in turn helps add depth to our storytelling and takes our movie to another level. Having done her homework on Miss Pettigrew for the past few years, she so completely owns the character that you would believe it was written for her by Winifred Watson." One who takes note of Miss Pettigrew’s presence is Edythe DuBarry played by BAFTA Scotland Award winner, Shirley Henderson . "We knew Shirley was the one to play Edythe after she read four lines for us, in our first meeting with her!," Bellflower recalls. How would Henderson describe her character? "She’s not nice and she’s quite mercenary. But, you know, the 1930s were difficult for women, and she’s trying to keep her head above water, so I felt sorry for her. The wealthy people who come to her salon don’t like her cutting remarks, yet at the same time they kind of enjoy them." Henderson, who in 2003 was the recipient of the Mademoiselle Ladubay Award, says that when she went for her audition she knew McDormand has taken the title role. "Frances is down to earth but has gritty and vulnerable qualities as well: all perfect for Miss Pettigrew. And I found that, like her character, Frances is concerned about everybody. This movie is a comedy, but there’s the underlying message of someone taking the time to genuinely help people: and therefore oneself." While 1989, 1997 and 2001 Chicago Film Critics Association Award winner McDormand ("Mississippi Burning", "Fargo" & "Almost Famous") was the only choice for Miss Pettigrew, there was no shortage of actresses interested in the other lead role of Delysia Lafosse. It was only when Amy Adams ("Charlie Wilson's War" & "Drop Dead Gorgeous") arrived for a meeting that the filmmakers sensed they had found their Delysia. "There is a spirit and joie de vivre to her that is unique and utterly infectious," Garrett says. "I’m referring to not only Delysia but also Amy herself." "First of all," marvels Nalluri, "Amy has unbeatable comic timing. She also has an extraordinary vulnerability that she brings to the screen. It’s rare to find an actor who has both." Magee too was taken by Adams. "She’s just so exciting to watch in "Enchanted". What with that and her tremendous Academy Award nominated performance in "Junebug", it’s very clear that she is going to be huge." "Amy is beautiful and sexy, and also has the ability to be funny, verbally and physically, without losing any sense of innocence. What we saw in "Junebug" and then witnessed first hand is that she removes any barrier between the characters she inhabits and the audience," Bellflower offers. Adams found a real connection with her character. "I responded to Delysia as soon as I read the script," she explained. "I am attracted to optimistic people and characters." The Sundance Film Festival 2005 Special Jury Prize winner ("Junebug") says believes that if Delysia had a modern motto it would be: "Fake it 'til you make it." Of McDormand she says, "I have always been a great admirer of her work. She turned out to be such a generous and joyful person to work with, while keeping everything professional and authentic. She mined all the humour from the script; and I tried to follow her lead, on a wing and a prayer." McDormand and Adams create massive chemistry. Nalluri recalls their first script reading: "They were both so wonderful together that it set the whole tone for the film." Supporting the two lead characters are the men in their lives. Two time Irish Film and Television Award winner Ciarán Hinds (2004 & '07) was cast as fashion designer Joe Blumfield. Lee Pace ("The Good Shepherd") plays Delysia’s pianist Michael Pardue; Tom Payne (TV'S "Waterloo Road") plays the nascent young producer Phil Goldman, while Mark Strong ("Syriana") plays nightclub owner Nick Colderelli. As yes, Amy Adams sings in "Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day". She performs the Ink Spots 1939 smash hit "If I Didn't Care" with Lee Pace. To hear both versions just click here. Director Nalluri has one wish "This film has a big heart, and I hope audiences come out of the theatre smiling." Synopsis

In 1939 London, Miss Guinevere Pettigrew is a middle-aged governess who finds herself once again unfairly dismissed from her latest job. Without so much as severance pay, Miss Pettigrew realizes that she must, for the first time in two decades, seize the day. This she does, by intercepting an employment assignment outside of her comfort level as a 'social secretary'. Arriving at a penthouse apartment for the interview, Miss Pettigrew is catapulted into the glamorous world and dizzying social whirl of an American actress and singer, Delysia Lafosse. Within minutes, Miss Pettigrew finds herself swept into a heady high-society milieu, and within hours, living it up. Taking the 'social secretary' designation to heart, she tries to help her new friend Delysia navigate a love life and career, both of which are complicated by three men in Delysia’s life; devoted pianist Michael, intimidating nightclub owner Nick, and impressionable junior impresario Phil. It may only be one day, but what a wonderful day it will turn out to be.

The Verdict "That old saying 'opposites attract' rings true in "Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day", thanks to the talents of its two leading ladies, Academy Award winner Frances McDormand and Independent Spirit Award winner Amy Adams. McDormand, totally in control of her character Miss Pettigrew, gives a confident, self-assured and endearing performance. McDormand's understanding of what was required for the role ensures that audiences not only feel great sympathy for Miss Pettigrew but also great hope, while her interpretation of Winifred Watson's 1938 Miss Pettigrew, will have cinemagoers eating out of her hand. Adams, as she did in "Enchanted" gives another effervescent performance. It's one I suspect fans will thoroughly enjoy. While many actresses lined up for the role, it's obvious from the first moment Adams appears on the screen, that the filmmakers got it right when they cast her as the zany, liberated, wanna-be actress, Delysia Lafosse. Initially Delysia comes across as being a bit of an air-head with loose morals, but Delysia has a plan. The period within which Watson's tale is set, was one dominated and controlled by men. Women weren't 'liberated' in those days. It's this aspect of the film that works so well. Delysia is a woman ahead of her times while Pettigrew has had a strict moral upbringing. Despite both characters faults, misgivings and personal problems, through the genuine bond of friendship, each contributes something to the other that shapes their lives. "Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day" features a delightful supporting cast. Ciarán Hinds ("Veronica Geurin") and two time Cherbourg-Octeville Festival of Irish & British Film Award winner Shirley Henderson (2003 & '06) both give commendable performances. Without categorizing audiences I feel that the film is probably wasted on younger viewers and is therefore best recommended to lovers of high quality art house/indie style films and 'mature' cinema audiences. So much to enjoy. So much that feels right for a period piece. A heady production. Romance, comedy, theatrics. It's all here in the wickedly bubbly, infectious, and very entertaining, "Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day". Highly recommended. 4 1/2 STARS." Crew Bytes "MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY" was .......
directed by Bharat Nalluri [TV'S "Spooks", "Hustle" and "Life On Mars"]; adapted from the novel by Winifred Watson ["Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day"]; set decoration by 2008 BAFTA Film Award Katie Spencer ["The Governess", "Starter For 10" and "Atonement"]; costume design by Michael O'Connor ["Look Me in the Eye", "The Last King of Scotland" and "Brick Lane"]; production design by 2008 Evening Standard British Film Award winner Sarah Greenwood ["Born Romantic", "Pride & Prejudice" and "Atonement"]; edited by 2001 Royal Television Society Award winner Barney Pilling [TV'S "Spooks", "Life On Mars" and "Hotel Babylon"]; cinematography by John De Borman ["The Guru", "Shall We Dance" and "Tara Road"]; original music by Paul Englishby ["Birthday Girl", "Love's Brother", "Proof" and "Becoming Jane"], casting by Leo Davis ["Dirty Pretty Things", "The Constant Gardener", "Mrs Henderson Presents", "The Queen" and "10,000 BC"]. Who's Who?

Amy Adams Frances McDormand Shirley Henderson Ciarán Hinds Lee Pace Tom Payne Mark Strong David Alexander Clare Clifford Christina Cole Stephanie Cole Beatie Edney Sarah Kants Sally Leonard Katy Murphy Tim Potter Matt Ryan Mo Zinal Silvia Lombardo

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Delysia Lafosse Guinevere Pettigrew Edythe Dubarry Joe Blumfield Michael Phil Nick Chestnut Seller Margery Charlotte Warren Miss Holt Mrs Brummegan Annabel Darlington Woman at Train Station Mrs Holt's Assistant Nightclub Patron Gerry Lenny Nightclub Patron's Lover

Run Time 92 minutes Rated PG [AUST] Copyright ©2008 - Focus Films - All Rights Reserved ©2008 All Rights Reserved The Movie Pages - Protected by Australian, International, Copyright & Trademark Laws.