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, Alan Arkin, Mike Binder

1 win & 4 nominations.

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, 6
Madeline McNulty	...	Young Pippa, 7
Beckett Melville	...	Chester Sarkissian, 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 | older man younger woman relationship | sleepwalking | moodiness | voice over narration | 

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Taglines:

She lived many lives - except her own

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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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Maggie Gyllenhaal was considered for the role of Suky, but dropped out, due scheduling conflicts.

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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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Connections

Referenced in Biography: Winona Ryder (2008)

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Soundtracks

Sky Saw
Written and Performed by Brian Eno
Courtesy of Virgin Records Ltd.
Under license from EMI Film & Television Music

User Reviews

All together one of the best films I've seen in a while

I was expecting this film to follow yet another "troubled housewife that pretends to be content" storyline, and it kind of does. But it plays it out in such an interesting and original manner. Nothing goes as expected, and all of the actors play their parts brilliantly. Blake Lively performs her part so beautifully that it is easy to see she will soon break out of the "Gossip Girl" personality that is so often pinned on her. Keanu Reeves is excellent in his role as well, and Maria Bello, Julianne Moore, Winona Ryder, and Alan Arkin show that they are still excellent actors and will continue thriving. But it is really Robin Wright Penn that steals the show in Pippa Lee. She performs naturally and makes her character hold more depth and presence then was imaginable. Only problem I found was the transition between the young Pippa Lee and the older one. I never quite understood how the young became the old, because of the huge differences between the actresses' roles. How did the young Pippa really become the older Pippa? No explanations offered were quite satisfying.

But altogether, this was a fantastic film and I recommend it for everyone with 93 minutes to spare to go see it immediately.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [France] Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 July 2009 (UK)

Also Known As:

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee

Filming Locations:

USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$89,950, 29 November 2009

Gross USA:

$337,356

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,860,973

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