The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (2009)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Rebecca Miller

Writers (WGA):

Rebecca Miller (screenplay)
Rebecca Miller (book)

Release Date:

10 July 2009 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The life you love may be your own.

Plot:

After her much older husband forces a move to a suburban retirement community, Pippa Lee engages in a period of reflection and finds herself heading toward a quiet nervous breakdown.

Plot Keywords:

Older Husband | Publisher | Neighbor | Mental Illness | Cheating Husband

Cast

Robin Wright Penn	...	Pippa Lee
Mike Binder	...	Sam Shapiro
Alan Arkin	...	Herb Lee
Winona Ryder	...	Sandra Dulles
Ryan McDonald	...	Ben Lee
Cornelius West	...	Don Sexton
Maria Bello	...	Suky Sarkissian
Arnie Burton	...	Doctor
Tim Guinee	...	Des Sarkissian
Drew Beasley	...	Chester Sarkissian - Age 6
Madeline McNulty	...	Young Pippa - Age 7
Beckett Melville	...	Chester Sarkissian - Age 13
Zoe Kazan	...	Grace Lee
Billy Wheelan	...	Waiter
Shirley Knight	...	Dot Nadeau

MPAA:

Rated R for sexual content, brief nudity, some drug material and language.

Runtime:

Germany:93 min (Berlin International Film Festival)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

USA:R | USA:R (certificate #45320) | Netherlands:12 | Ireland:16

Filming Locations:

Connecticut, USA

Company:

Elevation Filmworks

Trivia:

Maggie Gyllenhaal was considered for the role of Suky, but dropped out due scheduling conflicts and Maria Bello replaced her.

The best type of adult film

This will be regarded as 'a woman's movie' since it is written and directed by a woman (Rebecca Miller) and its central character (Robin Wright Penn) and most of the support roles (Julianne Moore, Winona Ryder, Blake Lively, Mario Bello, Monica Bellucci) are women too. But the male roles (Alan Arkin and Keanu Reeves) contribute to a stellar cast and the themes of self-discovery and self-expression are universal. If Pippa is angst-ridden, it's because she's had a traumatic life and the movie reveals a series of dramatic incidents, while concluding on a hopeful note. With not a car chase or a special effect in sight, this is an adult film in the proper sense of the word and as such well-worth viewing.