“Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day” succeeds because of the ingenious paring of Amy Adams and Frances McDormand. Part fairy tale and part buddy movie, “Miss Pettigrew” is set in the late 1930s just before England enters World War II. The outspoken Miss Guinevere Pettigrew (McDormand) has just lost her job as a governess and her employment agency offers her no hope of another one. Knowing that the soup kitchen is the only way she will get a meal without employment, Guinevere steals a referral only to discover that American singer Delysia Lafosse (Amy Adams) does not need a governess but a social secretary. You see, Delysia is juggling three boyfriends and she needs Guinevere’s help. There’s Nick (Mark Strong), the man who owns the flat where she lives; Phil (Tom Payne), the producer of a West End production in which she wants the lead role; and Michael (Lee Pace), a penniless piano player and it’s quite obvious who Prince Charming is. As Guinevere efficiently starts rearranging Delysia’s life, Delysia becomes Guinevere’s fairy godmother and provides a make-over. Suddenly Guinevere finds herself in the middle of her own romance.
Although the events in this movie take place in one day (the title is, after all, “Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day”), these women take to each other like long lost friends. They are two sides of the same coin. Delysia is not as silly and superficial as she appears and Guinevere is not above making decisions she later regrets. The casting of Amy Adams and Frances McDormand is perfect, with Adams’ infectious smile and winsome innocence an ideal foil to McDormand’s perspective and common-sense attitude. 3/9/08
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