The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (2009)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Rebecca Miller

Writers (WGA):

Rebecca Miller (screenplay)
Rebecca Miller (book)

Release Date:

October 2009 (USA)

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:

Beautiful Woman | Based On Novel | Character Name In Title

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
Keanu Reeves	...	Chris Nadeau
Joan Copeland	...	Piano Player
J.R. Horne	...	Jonnie Nadeau
Blake Lively	...	Young Pippa
Adam Shonkwiler	...	Chester Sarkissian - Age 22
Richard DeDomenico	...	Elderly Man
Robin Weigert	...	Trish Sarkissian
Julianne Moore	...	Kat
Christin Sawyer Davis	...	Shelly
Dan DeLuca	...	Craig Simms (as Zero)
Adam Grupper	...	Max Kessler
Sean-Michael Bowles	...	Jed
Audrey Lynn Weston	...	Terry
Monica Bellucci	...	Gigi Lee
Angela Trento	...	Woman
Teresa Yenque	...	Alphonsa
Lola Pashalinski	...	Mrs. Mankievitz
Myra Lucretia Taylor	...	Night Nurse
Annie Purcell	...	Nurse
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Andrew Stephen Bradley	...	Church Goer (uncredited)
Edie Hofstatter	...	Delivery room nurse (uncredited)
Harry L. Seddon	...	Church Friend Of Maria Bello (uncredited)

Directed by
Rebecca Miller

Writing credits (WGA)
Rebecca Miller		(screenplay)
Rebecca Miller		(book)

Produced by
Jill Footlick	....	executive producer
Warren T. Goz	....	executive producer
Stewart McMichael	....	executive producer
Brad Pitt	....	producer
Lemore Syvan	....	producer

Cinematography by
Declan Quinn

Film Editing by
Sabine Hoffmann

Casting by
Cindy Tolan

Production Design by
Michael Shaw

Set Decoration by
Cherish Magennis

Costume Design by
Jennifer von Mayrhauser

Makeup Department
Alessandro Bertolazzi	....	makeup artist (ms. monica bellucci )
LuAnn Claps	....	makeup department head
Peggy Nicholson	....	head of hair department
Nicky Pattison	....	key makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Francois Caillaud	....	first assistant director: second unit
Francois Caillaud	....	key second assistant director
Borjan Jovanovich	....	second second assistant director
John Tyson	....	first assistant director

Art Department
John J. Ciccimarro	....	key carpenter
Neil Driscoll Jr.	....	set dresser
Mary Fellows	....	shopper
Shannon Finnerty	....	additional property
Yolan Fisher	....	property master
Andrew Heikkila	....	assistant property master
Gavin A. Holmes	....	carpenter
Meghan Jordan	....	art department production assistant
Michael Kall	....	construction foreman
Melissa B. Miller	....	art department coordinator
Elizabeth Ralston	....	art department production assistant
Randall Richards	....	assistant art director
Pierre Rovira	....	construction coordinator
Jim Sten	....	leadman

Sound Department
Caoimhe Doyle	....	foley artist
Steve Fanagan	....	assistant foley artist
Steve Fanagan	....	first assistant sound editor
John Fitzgerald	....	sound re-recording mixer
Sarah Gaines	....	supervising sound editor
Claire Houghtalen	....	additional boom operator
Tom Johnson	....	sound effects editor
Tom Johnson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jean McGrath	....	foley recordist
Teferra McKenzie	....	boom operator
Jeff Pullman	....	production sound mixer
Stephen Jay Ross	....	boom operator: Los Angeles
Jon Tendrich	....	production sound mixer: Los Angeles
Christopher R. Walsh	....	sound effects editor

Special Effects by
Matt Vogel	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Morgan Miller	....	digital retouching
Jesse Morrow	....	visual effects artist

Stunts
Joan Preston	....	stunt performer

Camera and Electrical Department
Michael W. Brennan	....	rigging gaffer
M. Autumn Eakin	....	additional second assistant camera
Brant S. Fagan	....	Steadicam operator
Spencer Gillis	....	additional film loader
Tommy Kerwick Jr.	....	best boy grip
Tom Kerwick	....	key grip
Stephen Kozlowski	....	second assistant camera
Charles Libin	....	camera operator
Charles Libin	....	director of photography: second unit
Nathan Lopes	....	film loader
Nathan Gabriel Lopez	....	camera loader
Parris Mayhew	....	Steadicam operator
Brendan Jamieson O'Brien	....	video playback operator
Gene Page	....	still photographer
Greg Principato	....	first assistant camera
Robert Sciretta	....	gaffer
Jelani Atu Wilson	....	additional loader

Animation Department
Kristen Collins	....	assistant animator
Doug Compton	....	animator
Brian O'Connell	....	animation director
Richard O'Connor	....	animation director
Leah Tinari	....	character designer

Casting Department
Grant Wilfley	....	extras casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Leslie Bernstein	....	assistant costume designer
Justine Chevalier	....	wardrobe supervisor
Lucy Cottrell	....	costume department intern
Linda Giammarese	....	costumer
Candice Knox	....	costume department intern
Lucia Lettini	....	set costumer
Jessica Pitcairn	....	costume production assistant
Brenda Renfroe	....	tailor
Jennifer Lynn Tremblay	....	costume department intern
Rose Wells	....	set costumer (as Rosie Wells)

Editorial Department
Dana Bloder	....	digital intermediate producer
Russ Senzatimore	....	first assistant editor
Tim Stipan	....	digital intermediate colorist
Joe Szutarski	....	colorist: dailies
Michael P. Whipple	....	digital intermediate engineer

Music Department
Linda Cohen	....	music supervisor
Jamie Lawrence	....	score producer

Other crew
Mara Alcaly	....	location assistant
Tara Andrus	....	production accountant
Lola Belsito	....	production supervisor
Beverly Billin	....	assistant production coordinator
David E. Bisson	....	production office intern
Harrison Bohrman	....	location scout
Erin Borel	....	production coordinator
Nicole Bukowski	....	first assistant accountant
Damon Cardasis	....	assistant: rebecca miller
Ellen Athena Catsikeas	....	location manager
Jared Cauliffe	....	set production assistant
Lauren Cioffi	....	production assistant
Dama Claire	....	production consultant
Jason Feuerstein	....	production executive: Elevation Filmworks
Sarah Follett	....	set location assistant
Emily Gannett	....	product placement
Kristin Ilagan	....	office production assistant
Jeffrey Keefe	....	production assistant
Lauren Lillie	....	assistant: Ms. Syvan
Stephanie A. Marquardt	....	script supervisor
Dawn Mountain	....	production coordinator
Tom Naclerio	....	intern
Justin Rosini	....	location scout
R. Zachary Shildwachter	....	key production assistant
Jessica Thorne	....	payroll accountant
Tom Trocola	....	production assistant
Alicia Van Couvering	....	clearances

Production Companies

• Elevation Filmworks
• Grand Army Entertainment
• Lumina Films
• Plan B Entertainment

Distributors

• RCV Film Distribution (2009) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Ablo (2009) (Russia) (all media)
• CP Digital (2009) (Russia) (all media)
• CatchPlay (2009) (Taiwan) (all media)
• Cinematografica Distributori Indipendenti (CDI) (2009) (Italy) (all media)
• Forum (2009) (Israel) (all media)
• Icon Film Distribution (2009) (Australia) (all media)
• Icon Film Distribution (2009) (New Zealand) (all media)
• Icon Film Distribution (2009) (UK) (all media)
• Maple Pictures (2009) (Canada) (all media)
• NonStop Entertainment (2009) (Sweden) (all media)
• PlayArte Home Vídeo (2009) (Brazil) (all media)
• RCV Film Distribution (2009) (Belgium) (all media)
• RCV Film Distribution (2009) (Luxembourg) (all media)
• RCV Film Distribution (2009) (Netherlands) (all media)
• Screen Media Films (2009) (USA) (all media)
• TriPictures (2009) (Spain) (all media)

Other Companies

• All-Star Animals  animal handlers
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies
• David Haddad  transportation equipment
• Grant Wilfley Casting  extras casting
• Haddad's  transportation equipment
• Post Factory NY  post-production facilities
• Soundtrack  ADR Facility
• Tek Film Productions  grip equipment

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

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.

Great characters and performances, but slightly lacking in plot.

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee is a film that concerns itself with the people in it, rather than a narrative. Each character is unique and well developed, but more importantly, feels real and easy to care for. There are no cardboard cutouts or roles simply convenient to the plot. Their actions are delightfully unexpected, yet fully consistent with who they are. Even the minor roles feel like they've had 2 hours worth of backstory thought out for them.

The backstory we get to see is that of Pippa Lee (Penn). She has recently moved into a suburban neighbourhood with her husband Herb (Arkin), a publisher who is at least a few decades her senior. Herb has just retired after having his third heart attack, and intends his new home to be his final resting place. The couple have two grown children and some old friends who are witnesses to what appears to be a facade of marital bliss.

The story of how Pippa ended up in this arrangement, starting with her early childhood, is told concurrently with the main narrative. We learn of Pippa's pill-popping mother (Bello), her aunt's gay lover (Moore), and how she met Herb. Meanwhile, the suppressed malaise in the present time begins to make itself known through a number of events, starting with the overnight disappearance of half of a chocolate cake and the appearance of a sock in the refrigerator.

What is truly remarkable about this film are the performances. Robin Wright Penn gives a stunning portrayal of a woman who seems to say more with a smile than with her words. It might be early in the year, but I would not be surprised to see an Oscar nod come voting time. She is a pleasure to watch, and really breathes air into what could've been a lifeless character.

Alan Arkin is great as usual, and the blunt dialogue of his character suits him well. When Pippa's character tells us she longs to listen to him speak, we are in full agreement. Winona Ryder and Julianne Moore also make their minor characters stand out with quirky delightfulness. Even Keanu Reeves is adequate in his role.

One thing this film seems to lack, however, is a strong narrative. At times, it feels like a loosely bound collection of anecdotes from Pippa's life. While each of these anecdotes have their own appeal and quite a few laughs, they don't quite manage to come together into a compelling story, without which the film is just another forgettable family drama, albeit with really interesting people.