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Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (2008)

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (2008)

7.2

American socialite meets no nonsense governess in this delightful screwball comedy

Movie

United Kingdom, United States of America
English
Comedy, Drama, Romance
2008

TLDR

Let Miss Pettigrew have a meal, please!

What it's about

London, 1939. Middle-aged straitlaced governess Guinevere Pettigrew finds herself dismissed from her job. When she takes an uncharacteristic gamble, she meets glamorous, flamboyant American socialite Delysia Lafosse, and their lives are forever changed within the 24 hours they share.

The take

There is a lightness to Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day that makes this period romantic comedy enjoyable– the banter, the gorgeous costumes, the gorgeous men, of which there are plenty, and silly hijinks in which the couples get together– and it feels reminiscent of some of the classic romantic comedies that once captivated the world during its time. But make no mistake. While the genre has a rep for superficiality, the characteristic lightheartedness through which the titular governess and her socialite ward eases through is much more thoughtful than the eye would expect, with the looming war and Pettigrew’s past grounding the idea to seize true love when it comes your way. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day just does it all with old school charm and modern filmmaking polish.

What stands out

The cast is stacked, and it’s honestly depressing that Lee Pace hasn’t taken a similar role since.

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