‘Miss Pettigrew’ lives
thanks to a strong cast

At the Movies
By Senitra Horbrook

The bubbly and bright Amy Adams has got the damsel-in-distress act down to a tee. Her most recent leading roles include her Oscar-nominated turn in Junebug and her charming portrayal of a Disney princess in Enchanted.
In Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, Adams once again has the chance to refine her damsel routine.
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is a simple comedy that easily would have been humdrum and forgettable without the talents of Adams and co-star Frances McDormand (a four-time Oscar nominee, winning once for Fargo).
Based on a 1938 novel by Winifred Watson, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day takes place on the eve of World War II in London. Director Bharat Nalluri (known most for TV’s Emmy-nominated Tsunami: The Aftermath) does a great job of making the movie feel like it truly took place in the late 1930s. Both the set and the costumes are reminiscent of an era gone by.
Adams plays Delysia (sounds like "delicious") Lafosse, an American actress and singer looking for both love and career success. She’s on the cusp of both, but unfortunately that means juggling three men — her true love (Lee Pace), the nightclub owner who lets her sing in his club (Mark Strong), and the theater producer who just may be able to get her a role on the stage (Tom Payne).
McDormand is the dour Guinevere Pettigrew, a down-on-her-luck nanny who has just been fired from her most recent position with no hopes for another. Miss Pettigrew swipes the information of Delysia, who is looking for a social secretary, and the ex-nanny pretends to be the secretary sent over from the agency.
Miss Pettigrew immediately gets Delysia out of a tough spot — she’s just spent the night with one man in another man’s home. The homeowner is on his way back and Delysia needs her other lover out — and fast. Miss Pettigrew comes to the rescue, and Delysia quickly deems her indispensable.
Delysia and Miss Pettigrew wind up spending only one day together (as the film’s title suggests), but they both undergo transformations and realize how much they have in common. Miss Pettigrew, who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks, gets a lovely makeover that transforms her from frumpy to fabulous. She realizes she is worthy of love and draws the attention of lingerie designer Joe (Ciaran Hinds). Delysia realizes the importance of being with the one she loves over being with the one who can further her career.
Adams and McDormand make this movie worth seeing; they play nicely off each other and have great rapport. Adams appears to have a lot of fun with the role, but she also knows how to turn off the fun and be serious when the script calls for it. McDormand has a dry wit, which adds just the right amount of humor at just the right times.
March is not the greatest month for movies — just check out some of the reviews of the big-budget flicks in theaters. In addition, people aren’t going to the movies as often as they do during the summer and the winter holidays.
That makes me glad for smaller movies like Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. It might not be the best movie ever made, but it’s a pretty good pick for this time of the year. ••
Movie Grade: B+