Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

Synopsis: War threatens London as Miss Pettigrew, a destitute governess, filches a client's card from her agency and presents herself at the door. A singer named Delysia Lafosse wants a social secretary as she seeks a West End role by sleeping with a feckless producer in the bed of Nick, a smarmy nightclub owner with whom she also dallies. She ignores Michael, her piano player, who loves her and has tickets for New York on the Queen Mary. Miss Pettigrew's job is to make sure Delysia gets the part. Over 24 hours, Miss Pettigrew is also called upon to help an ambitious and unfaithful fashion editor patch things up with her older fiancé, a lingerie designer. Has Miss Pettigrew found her calling?
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Director(s): Bharat Nalluri
Production: Focus Features
  1 nomination.
 
IMDB:
7.1
Metacritic:
63
Rotten Tomatoes:
77%
PG-13
Year:
2008
92 min
$12,294,036
Website
558 Views


Miss Pettigrew,

I was warned of your

stubbornness and impertinence,

and I should have known

better when you were called the

"governess of last resort."

But I had no idea

of your utter unsuitability.

You are dismissed.

- But, Mrs. Brummegan...

Away!

Allow me one last chance...

Goodbye, Miss Pettigrew.

I'm owed

a week's wages.

I say! I'm terribly sorry!

I do apologize.

Oh, no! My things!

My things!

Let me help you with that.

They'll have me back

in prison for this.

Oh!

Oh, nothing serious.

Well, when I say serious, I...

No.

Wait! Your...

Your belongings!

Sorry!

Gerry?

Edythe, if you can keep your hands

off him for just two seconds...

We're getting our

own cab, thank you.

That's naughty!

Let's get out

of here, Gerry.

Washburns.

Jane, aged five.

Lovely girl.

- Lost in the park...

Independence.

That's all that girl needs...

For six hours?

The Randle boys,

John and Robin.

" Wrestled retired Colonel Johnson to

the floor outside Fortnum and Mason's,

"shouting, 'Nazi warmonger'

because..." And I quote,

"Miss Pettigrew thought

he was a German spy."

A little joke.

"Ambulance called.

Police called."

Yes. And now

the Brummegans.

Miss Pettigrew,

we live in uncertain times.

My goodness, there

could be a war any day.

Do you think that work

is easy to find?

No, no.

Certainly not, Miss Holt.

But Mrs. Brummegan was...

Well, fond of a sherry,

if you take my meaning.

As a vicar's daughter,

I found her rather difficult.

No, she found you rather

difficult, Miss Pettigrew.

And that is, I'm afraid,

a recurring theme.

Miss Holt?

- Yes, Jilly?

The Lafosse household rang

last night. Still looking.

Thank you. Yes, I

won't be a moment.

A person can change.

I haven't seen any sign of that.

She could stop drinking.

Our clients don't adapt to

suit your needs, Miss Pettigrew,

you adapt to them!

I am trying,

Miss Holt. Really.

Give me one last chance.

You won't regret it.

My dear woman, I

already have. Thrice.

I'm afraid we have nothing

suitable for you at the moment.

Good day, Miss Pettigrew.

- Shall I come back tomorrow?

The situation is most

unlikely to have changed.

The day after?

Only if you desire the exercise.

Miss Holt.

Please, I implore you.

Yes, Miss Holt?

Miss Darlington is finishing with

Carole Lombard this week, isn't she?

She would be perfect for the

Lafosse residence, don't you think?

I think she would

be an excellent choice.

Can you refer

to her file for me?

Certainly.

Thank you.

I said good day,

Miss Pettigrew.

Good day.

Amazing.

Hi.

I have come

from Miss Holt's Agency.

What time is it?

It's five minutes

past 10:
00.

- Five minutes past.

In the morning?

- I believe so.

Oh, God!

Oh, my God,

look at the place.

I was given to believe

you were expecting me.

Miss Holt's

Employment Agency?

Darn right, honey.

And not a moment too soon.

Allow me.

Neat!

Time?

Six minutes

past 10:
00.

Can I be of any

further assistance?

Not unless you can get Phil out of

bed in the next two minutes, you can't.

I've known my share of

naughty boys who oversleep.

You too, huh?

Phil! It's time

to wake up, darling!

Damn it!

- Allow me.

I can get your boy up

and dressed in no time.

You could? Really?

Certainly.

- Angel.

One must not stand for

any nonsense, that's all.

They just need to know

who's in charge.

First door at the top

of the stairs.

Philip?

Rise and shine, Philip!

As I said to your mother, I

won't stand for any nonsense.

You naughty boy, get up!

I kind of am up,

as you can see.

Oh, golly!

Excuse me, Mrs. Lafosse,

may I speak to you?

Mrs. Lafosse...

Oh, heavens!

Answer that, will you? If it's

Nick, tell him... Tell him I'm dead.

Good morning, this is Miss Holt

here, of Holt's Employment Agency.

I've just rung to say that one of our

best women is on her way over to you now.

Hello?

No, no,

no! That won't be necessary.

I'm afraid that

Mrs. Lafosse is dead.

Goodbye.

Don't really do kitchens.

Hmm.

Any luck with Phil?

I'm so sorry, Mrs.

Lafosse... Delysia.

Delysia, I'm afraid I walked in

on your guest in a state of nature.

I fear that I have outraged

his sense of propriety.

Oh, no, Phil doesn't

have one of those.

He's a much bigger boy

than I had expected.

Oh, you noticed.

He is, isn't he?

Uh...

Hello?

Darling!

Really?

Mmm-hmm.

You, too.

He's at the club.

Be here in 10 minutes.

Oh, God.

Who?

- Nick!

Another man?

Well, of course

another man!

Jeepers.

I'm afraid there has been

a misunderstanding.

I can see the problem clearly

now and I really must be going.

You do?

Pardon?

See the problem. Really?

Well, yes.

- I knew it.

From the moment I set eyes on you, I just

knew I could trust you. I can, can't I?

Yes, you can.

- Thank you.

Thank you.

You've saved my life.

Have I?

- Hmm.

A two-pronged attack

should do it. Let's go.

Though I don't think you

should mention about Nick.

Or Michael.

- Michael?

Is he your son?

- My son? Lord, no.

Michael wants

to marry me.

Another man?

You don't have to wake

the neighbors about it.

Besides, that's only three.

Phil's rather free

about where he undresses.

He's a theater producer.

Well, his father is.

Phil's got his first show on at

the Ambassador. I've got the lead.

Well...

I'm pretty sure

I have now.

Hello again.

Awfully sorry about earlier. I

thought you were someone else.

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David Magee

David Magee (born 1962) is an American screenwriter who was nominated for a 2004 Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Finding Neverland. Along with Simon Beaufoy, he wrote the screenplay for Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day starring Frances McDormand and Amy Adams, which was released in 2008. His 2012 screen adaptation of the novel Life of Pi by Yann Martel earned him a Satellite Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He is currently writing the screenplay for the Disney musical Mary Poppins Returns, directed by Rob Marshall, with music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. The film will star Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda and is scheduled for release in December 2018.Magee is also the screenwriter for the next Chronicles Of Narnia film, The Silver Chair, which is being produced by the Mark Gordon Company and released by TriStar films. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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