The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (2009)

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.

Director:

Rebecca Miller

Writers:

Rebecca Miller (screenplay), Rebecca Miller (book)

Stars:

Robin Wright, Mike Binder, Alan Arkin

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robin Wright	...	Pippa Lee (as Robin Wright Penn)
Mike Binder	...	Sam Shapiro
Alan Arkin	...	Herb Lee
Winona Ryder	...	Sandra Dulles
Ryan McDonald	...	Ben Lee
Cornel 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

Storyline

Pippa Lee feels dislocated when she and her husband Herb move from Manhattan to a retirement community. He's older than she, they have two children who are young adults, and the daughter hardly speaks to Pippa. Pippa tells us about her life, in long flashbacks, starting with her birth to a mom who was a social dynamo and addicted to pills. As a teen, Pippa moves out and lives a hippie life until meeting Herb, who was then married to a young siren. Pippa discloses tragedies and discoveries. In the present, she's sleepwalking at night and talking from time to time with a burned-out case, the 35-year-old son of a neighbor. Can Pippa connect?

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Plot Keywords:

retirement | neighbor | publisher | pills | 35 year old | 

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Taglines:

Fall in Love With Pippa Lee

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [France] Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 July 2009 (Ireland)

Also Known As:

A Vida Íntima de Pippa Lee

Filming Locations:

Connecticut, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

£44,511 (UK) (10 July 2009)

Gross:

£108,160 (UK) (17 July 2009)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Grand Army Entertainment, IM Global, Lumina Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min 93 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Julianne Moore only spent 2 days filming her role.

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Quotes

Chris Nadeau: What are you thinking?
Pippa Lee: I was just thinking that you seem like...
Chris Nadeau: What?
Pippa Lee: ...Just that you seem, you seem so bright.
Pippa Lee: It's a pity you never settled on any real work. It would make your life so much easier.
Chris Nadeau: Okay. Well, thank you...
Pippa Lee: I didn't mean to offend you.
Chris Nadeau: I suggest that you go back to that little life you've puffed up for yourself. I'm sure you're very happy underneath all that anxiety.
Pippa Lee: You're right. You know, you... you are an asshole.
Chris Nadeau: Told you.

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Soundtracks

"Another Green World"
Written and Performed by Brian Eno
Courtesy of Virgin Records Ltd.
Umder license from EMI Film & Television Music

User Reviews

Assured, intelligent domestic drama with some nice surprises

Robin Wright Penn is uncannily reminiscent of Julie Christie in Away From Her from a couple of years ago, while the tone, topic and structure of these two assured quiet domestic dramas also have much in common. The character changes and revelations in this film stretch credibility rather more, partly because there are more of them thrown into the melting pot and not enough time to get to know some of the characters as I would have liked to. I disagree however with the comment on Keanu Reeve's performance. I thought he was excellent, as indeed were all these quality actors, though there wasn't enough of Winona Ryder to make her role entirely convincing. In a film of this nature the dialogue is the make or break factor. What people say to each other must be interesting yet credible, and this is absolutely the case in the relationships portrayed here. Altogether an absorbing, intelligent film, with some highly satisfactory twists and surprises.