Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is an adaptation of a 1938 novel about an unemployed, puritanical London governess, played by Frances McDormand, who due to a series of misunderstandings and a minor lapse in moral conduct, becomes the social secretary to an American lounge singer, played by Amy Adams, with theater acting aspirations who is juggling three men. Will the governess go down the primrose path to hell or get her charge to follow the straight and narrow?
I absolutely despise when filmmakers reference and rely on classic Hollywood to garner praise for their contemporary creation, but ultimately fail at capturing the magic of the time. If it was shot in black and white, viewers could mistakenly believe that Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day was created soon after the book was published. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day replicates the magic of classic cinema: maintaining a light and enjoyable tone while simultaneously tackling heavy issues like sexual exploitation, severe financial insecurity and the carnage of war.
Like many comedies from the classic Hollywood era, the ladies take the lead, and the casting is key. McDormand and Adams’ performance would measure up to any of the great dames of the past such as Rosalind Russell, Joan Fontaine or Joan Crawford. It takes a lot of hard work to capture the quality of this type of stylized acting to successfully execute a screwball comedy and still seem organic.
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day also has a great message. It admonishes morally superior people to be empathetic, not judgmental, of human moral frailty and recognize that frailty within oneself instead of elevating yourself above others. There is also a bittersweet tone to the film, which is set after The Great War, but before World War II, which probably would not have been captured if Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day was filmed soon after it was published. There is a sense that this is a golden and rare time of peace, which most people do not recognize, but is painfully apparent to those who remember and suffered during The Great War.
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day may seem like a trifle, but there is a lot of heavy lifting by the filmmakers and cast to make hard work look easy. If you are a fan of classic Hollywood and love any member of the cast, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is required viewing.