All right. I’ve decided to start a new weekly installment here: Thursday Cinema. Every Thursday I intend to write about either an old movie, or a movie that takes place before 1979. Each entry will contain a review of the film, letting you know if it’s even worth seeing (a rating out of 5 is given at the bottom), as well as discussing the historical components of it. Today I bring you Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day…
On the eve of World War II, England is home to high style and thrilling night clubs. Singing at The Scarlet Peacock is Delysia Lafasse (Amy Adams), an American trying to make a name for herself in showbiz by any means possible. Meanwhile, Miss Pettigrew (Frances McDormand) has lost her third job, and stumbles into becoming Delysia’s personal “social secretary” and Delysia takes her on the ride of her life through lingerie fashion shows and cocktail parties. A high society comedy akin to The Importance of being Earnest, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is a wonderful and heartwarming story with happy endings all round. The film is based upon the book under the same title, which was actually written in 1939 and was originally set to become a film staring Billie Burke, but when Pearl Harbor occurred, the project was shelved.
Miss Pettigrew is certainly a feast for the eyes. Chalk full of fabulous outfits from undergarments to hats, and even hair styles. Amy Adams falls wonderfully into the period and I expect will continue to be cast in this era. McDormand has yet to produce a role that isn’t stunning, and the role of Miss Pettigrew seems as though it was written for her. Shirley Henderson (of Bridget Jones, a they Harry Potter films, and even an episode of Doctor Who) also stars and is fabulously bitchy in that stylish way.
In terms of period correctness, there is little to pick at. In doing pre-1950s films, it is easier to find period correct cars that have had little modern customizations done to them. I did find a possible error in respects to a claim Delysia makes makes regarding being an extra in a film. She claims to have been drinking a margarita. And while there are claims of the margarita being invented before 1940, they were not common until after 1948. While taking place on the eve of WWII, little attention is given to it with the exception of the climax of the film taking place during an air-raid, and by no means is the film dependent upon issues regarding the war.
A true delight in every sense of the word, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is a fun and bubbly comedy for vintage lovers.
