Saturday, March 15, 2008

“Miss Pettigrew Lives” Has a Fairy Tale Cast

By Heather Chin

(previously published on www.thecelebritycafe.com on March 4, 2008)

The fantastic cast, led by Frances McDormand and Amy Adams, bring life and bright humor to an enjoyable musical fairy tale.

The Hollywood Reporter notes that the new musical film, “Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day,” is lively, funny and wonderfully cast, but might leave a viewer feeling a bit taken aback by the swiftly moving, lavishly decorated, period atmosphere that creates this self-described “fairy tale for adults.”

Set in a 1939 London full of the nostalgic sounds of Cole Porter, Johnny Mercer and Yip Harburg, “Miss Pettigrew Lives” follows a day in the lives of Miss Guinevere Pettigrew (Oscar-winner Frances McDormand), a down-on-her-luck, middle-aged governess, and Delysia – as in Delicious – Lafosse (Amy Adams, fresh off her Enchanted role), an aspiring American actress trying to “succeed in business without really trying” – by sleeping her way up the entertainment business ladder.

The men in Delysia’s life include Joe (Ciaran Hinds of There Will Be Blood), Michael (Lee Pace of ABC’s Pushing Daisies), Phil (Tom Payne) and Nick (Mark Strong), and it is up to the practical Miss Pettigrew to guide Delysia towards her one true love.

Adapted from the newly rediscovered 1939 novel by Winifred Watson, the screenplay was written by David Magee and Simon Beaufoy, and directed by Bharat Nalluri. The film is set to be released by Focus Features on April 24.

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