The Private Lives of Pippa Lee
Tags: comedy, flashback

Plot synopsis:
The film chronicles the life of a woman named Pippa Lee (Robin Wright), with flashbacks to her tumultuous past. Pippa Sarkissian (Blake Lively) was the youngest child and only girl in her large Christian family. Her mother Suky (Maria Bello) was a neurotic mother with an obsessive fixation on her daughter's looks. By her teen years, Pippa discovers that her mother takes amphetamines in order to self-medicate her vast mood swings. She has a confrontation with her mother by taking drugs that results in Pippa leaving home and moving in with her aunt and roommate, who are in a lesbian relationship. After a time, the aunt discovers Pippa participating in erotic photo sessions with the roommate and her friends and Pippa is banished from that apartment and goes on to live a bohemian life of drugs and working as an exotic dancer. On a weekend jaunt with like-minded friends, she meets a charismatic publisher named Herb Lee who is 30 years older than she is and a romance develops between the young woman and the older man. The couple marry, have two children and later move into a retirement home in Connecticut. Through her marriage, Pippa has become the "perfect wife": loving, supportive, everything to everyone and no one to herself. The couple grow apart; Herb has an affair with one of Pippa's friends and middle-aged Pippa has encounters with a younger man named Chris. After Herb dies from a heart attack, Pippa finally breaks with her life of subservience and refuses to set up the burial, leaving the details to her children. The film ends with Pippa driving off with Chris.

Review: This will be regarded as 'a woman's movie' since it is written and directed by a woman (Rebecca Miller) and its central character (Robin Wright Penn) and most of the support roles (Julianne Moore, Winona Ryder, Blake Lively, Mario Bello, Monica Bellucci) are women too.
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.
Many under-texts show us Pippa Lee as the disastrous teenager and young woman, heading into this relationship with this old man, who pretends to see her, but much more sees himself and his sophisticated needs.Good acting, good thoughts, unforeseeable feelings, but no real answer to the backlash question..
The Private Lives of Pippa Lee is a film that concerns itself with the people in it, rather than a narrative.
I'll have you know that WAIT UNTIL DARK is in my Top 5 movies of all time, probably #2, and also in my Top 5 is THE PRINCESS BRIDE.THE PRIVATE LIVES OF PIPPA LEE has some memorable lines of dialogue!
Its stellar cast makes this film a joy -- Robin Wright Penn is extraordinary as the titular character, while Keanu Reeves, Blake Lively, and Winona Ryder truly shine in supporting roles.
But "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee" is, most of all, a vehicle for the legendary Alan Arkin as Pippa's husband Herb Lee. He's at his best yet.The script is about 5/50 drama and comedy so it's hard to pin it down either way.
"The Private Lives of Pippa Lee" is an independent, character drama, with an all star cast, and written by Rebecca Miller, the daughter of playwright Arthur Miller - so what's not to like?
Sure, Pippa was a child, then a teenager, then a young adult, now middle-aged and she will grow old - but I failed to see how this was different from everybody else on the planet.For character drama enthusiasts you will probably need to see this because I'm sure all the buzz it got piqued your interest like mine, but for everybody else there are plenty of other independent dramas out there with actual characters that will pique your interest..
Pippa Lee (Robin Wright Penn) is about ten years older than Lucy Jordan at her time of dying.
Outstanding performances by Robin Wright Penn as Pippa Lee, Blake Lively as her younger self, and Maria Bello as her mother.
This film is about the disintegration of the life of Pippa Lee, a suburban housewife with a shady past."The Private Lives of Pippa Lee" has a very strong cast, and their acting talents are put into full use.
The film gives us no compelling reason why we should care about her life story, which could have been anyone's life story.I find "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee" boring and not engaging.
Coming of Middle Age. THE PRIVATE LIVES OF PIPPA LEE are nothing more than a retrospective of how a bored mother and wife of an aging man longs for the unfulfilled passion of youth.
Pippa Lee (Robin Wright Penn) is a frustrated wife of aging Herb Lee (Alan Arkin) and feels her life slipping away from her when Herb moves them out of Manhattan to a retirement community.
What happens in the film is a series of flashbacks to her childhood, her drug-tossed teenage years and how she coped with her wholly dysfunctional mother (Maria Bello), keeping her under her thumb until she launches into a life of discovery through her aunt (Robin Weigart) and partner (Julianne Moore), confusing her to the point that she ultimately marries the established publisher, Herb, a man who lacked passion, and now is stuck in a tedious life that makes her have nightmares and sleepwalk.
Though this movie is from a novel by the director Rebecca Miller (who's playwright Arthur Miller's daughter) and adapted by her, it's very much material for a soap of the old "Valley of the Dolls" variety with desperate housewives, impossibly rich adulterous husbands, mysterious sexy losers, drugs, changed names, a shifting cast, people running off to begin a new life, and so on.The cast is intriguing.
Maria Bello (replacing Maggie Gyllenhaal, who dropped out) plays a drug-addled mother in turbulent flashbacks; Winona Ryder (whose personal history is interesting, if not her acting) is a disloyal friend in the present when Pippa has been married for 25 years to a prominent publisher (Alan Arkin).
How Pippa got to be in her present state of sedated uxoriousness with a feisty 80- year-old, what her 25 years of marriage to him were like, raising two grown children, Brian (Ryan McDonald), a young lawyer, and Grace (Zoe Kazan, Elia's granddaughter), a photojournalist working on the front lines: or all this little is said, and less shown.If this movie had a heart, it would be the present-time dying marriage with Herb (Arkin), whose heart is in shaky shape, though his ego is as robust as ever.
There are signs that Herb may be losing his marbles, but it turns out to be Pippa who's sleepwalking -- and, new thing, sleep-driving her car to a convenience store where she's rescued by Chris (Keanu Reeves), 35- year-old son of Shirley Knight and staying with her after a meltdown in his life out West.
"We're the ones who make you hotshots look good." You've got to hand it to lousy movies like 'Pippa Lee': watching them makes you appreciate the good ones..
Rebecca Miller's story of Pippa Lee is about a quiet nervous breakdown that a woman experiences in her stale marriage while she looks back to her unstable past.
Most of the film is seen through the protagonist's point of view and Miller has done a great job in defining the character and presenting the moments in her life that are perceived as being important to her.
Keanu Reeves is an odd casting choice as his character is supposed to be at least a decade younger than Pippa but Reeves barely looks a year younger than Wright Penn.
Julianne Moorse, Monica Bellucci and Winona Ryder are outstanding in their sequences of a few minutes.Arguably, 'The Private Lives of Pippa Lee' isn't plot laden but this is more a character-driven piece than anything else.
I'm glad Miller didn't put too much focus on the flashback scenes with young Pippa because the core of the story is about a woman going through a quiet nervous breakdown.This isn't a film that would appeal to everybody.
I also thought the sudden change in Pippa's personality (when she catches her husband with X), was a little drastic and especially how she suddenly sees herself free of the guilt.As flawed as it is, 'The Private Lives of Pippa Lee' is an intriguing character study.
And, so, well, er, what about these private lives?Young Pippa Lee is played by Blake Lively and middle-aged, present day Pippa by Robin Wright.
A Nutshell Review: The Private LIves of Pippa Lee. Similar to Evening, this film examines the life and times of Pippa Lee, played by Robin Wright Penn in her current, older age, happily married to Herb (Alan Arkin) and spending their twilight years in a retirement village, where everything seems perfect with friends and family, but with a series of events that threaten to tear at the fabric of their relationship, one fearful of dying, while the other discovering that her sleepwalking may prove to actually be the least of her worries.I suppose when one's retire, one will look back and reflect on the life that has so far past by, assessing if it was a life well led, or if there's any last ditch attempt to rectify and address issues before the time is up.
For about half the film, the narrative takes a walk down memory lane, and as we know how a woman's heart holds plenty of secrets, so does Pippa's, now played by Blake Lively, watching her lead a life that's aimless, and how she finally found an avenue of attachment to someone older, who provided her with that rudder in life.The film also touches for the large part on the role of mothers, with Pippa's tumultuous relationship with her mother, a woman reliant on a cocktail of drugs to get through life, and presented an entire series of bewildering emotions and mood swings through which Pippa grew up under.
In the current narrative, it shifts from Pippa's relationship with her own children, how they brought her peace, though still not without the reconciliation that she seeks with her daughter (Zoe Kazan).Written and directed by Rebecca Miller, part of the draw here is the ensemble casting, from the leads in Alan Arkin (again given some of the best lines here, with hair too to boot), and the bit roles played by Julianne Moore, Monica Bellucci, Winona Ryder and Keanu Reeves, a thirty-something ex-priest in the making now turned divorcée and working in a convenience store, with whom Pippa forms a strong, inexplicable bond with.
While they may be bit roles, each play an important part in the formation of the Pippa character, especially Monica Bellucci as Herb's ex-wife, in a sequence that's quite shocking and unexpected, contributing to the key guilt factor that Pippa finds herself shouldering.
This proved to be a mold that's easily applied to each and every character here, where somewhat negative experiences transforms into one becoming jaded, or be filled with mistrust with people who we think are our friends, only to have betrayal stare right back in our faces.The Private Lives of Pippa Lee turned out to be less than the chick flick I thought it would be, and was quite the powerful drama it was, although I felt that it had room to flesh out more of Pippa's past, which seem to be rather quickly glossed over since it's a steep decline into a drug infused lifestyle.
The Private Lives of Pippa Lee has a few moments but really what is left is a pretty forgettable film.
The best aspect are the performances of some the actors but even then the film compounds its problems.Pippa Lee is played by Robin Wright Penn as a dizzy, hapless blond, detached from the world around her.
This is convincing until the flashbacks introduce us to the performance of Blake Lively playing the younger Pippa.
Blake Lively is a very talented actor.The other outstanding performance and the best in the film by a long shot is by Maria Bello as Pippa's drug addicted mother.
It's an ensemble cast production; Robin Wright and Blake Lively (Wright as the primary) in the title role, Alan Arkin, Winona Ryder, Julianne Moore, Monica Bellucci and Keanu Reeves.The story is told through flashbacks to learn how Pippa Lee became who she is, and why she's going through her mid-life crisis of identity.
Pippa Sarkissian (her maiden name) was a troubled young woman who, despite that, had a great heart and an innocence that was endearing both to the viewer and Herb Lee (Arkin) and he fell in love with her and helped her step out of her hippy-type lifestyle.Ryder plays Pippa's troubled best friend well and believably; she was troubled and desperate, she's always able to play vulnerable and broken.
Flashbacks to Pippa's childhood and young womanhood fill in surprising facts highlighting her struggles with her mother (Maria Bello) her Aunt's partner (Moore) her issues with drugs, troublesome relationships and decline of her self esteem.
A lovely low budget film, where the actors carry the plot with superb performances especially from Robin Wright - luminous and engaging, who really shows her prowess as an actress to lend such scope to a simple role.
Self reference, again.We have the mother, unhealthy, drug addict, and obsessed with her daughter, we have Sam, always in love, we have Arkin's character, who materializes in Pippa the frustration of his artless existence.
Robin Wright is very good as Pippa Sarkissian, who is a disaffected rock chick and party girl, living a life of partying then she meets successful businessman Alan Arkin on the beach one summer marries him and settles into life of middle age.Not the kind of life for a vibrant woman who still has dreams, passion, and is attracted to 35 year old Keanu reeves ( a hilarious scene as she is in bed with him and his mother pops in the bedroom).
A nice cameo with veteran actress Shirley Knight ("As Good as it Gets" mother to Helen Hunts character).Pippa knows her elderly is husband is cheating on her with an even younger waif (Winona Ryder).
Arkin's previous wife is portrayed by the gorgeous Monica Bellucci, and some wonderfully funny scenes by her as she threatens Arkin with a gun if he leaves the marriage.A good woman's story with clever humor, no trite romantic comedy "Lifetime" film here.
Pippa Lee (Robin Wright) feels lost after her older husband Herb (Alan Arkin) move them from Manhattan to a Connecticut retirement community.
In flashbacks, Pippa Lee reveals her life with her manic-depressive mother Suky Sarkissian (Maria Bello).
As a young woman, Pippa (Blake Lively) deals with her unstable mother and runs away to stay with her aunt Trish and her lesbian lover Kat (Julianne Moore).This is filled with great actresses doing interesting roles.
Spooky incidenses from Blake Livelys' portrayal of a younger Robin Wright Penn, i noticed her upper lip a lot, and when she decided to get on the pills her mom was on also, I was glad it was just a small slice of film, (it lasted like 45 seconds).
It was a faithful re-telling of the story as the author also directed the film but the main reason why I liked the book was the insight into Pippa's thoughts and the writing style, both of which could not be carried across to the big screen.
This film is a slow build, carried by Wright's performance, intelligent writing, and a shiny supporting cast--worth a slow-day viewing just to see what Bello, Arkin, Moore, Bellucci, and even Reeves, among others, do with their roles.
A "Lifetime" type movie but with a more top notch cast.The story quite simple about Pippa's life from childhood to empty nest and is told in flashbacks that aren't too hard to follow.
The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, written for the screen and directed by Rebecca Miller based on her homonym book, falls into the mediocre category from my point of view; however, I have to admit it kept me moderately interested despite that.Instead of telling us a story, Miller presents us illustrative bullets of the factors which molded the main character's life through the years, and which by the way planted the seeds of her multiple neurosis.
Nevertheless, I think I can give a slight recommendation to The Private Lives of Pippa Lee mainly for its direction and competent performances.
Reminding you of his role in "Something's got to give" (2003), Keanu Reeves plays 15-years-younger neighbour who develops a romantic relationship with Pippa that stops tantalizingly short of an affair.
Pippa Lee, the woman at the center of this story, has come a long way to be this person we first encounter in a suburban setting.
Having left Manhattan with her much older publisher husband to the safe haven of a Connecticut peaceful living, makes her reflect on her youth and the way her life has turned out to be.Coming from a sort of dysfunctional family herself, Pippa Sarkissian led a stormy home life with her ow mother, Suky, an unbalanced woman that left scars in her daughter that will haunt her life forever.
Alan Arkin plays Herb Lee, the man that falls in love with the younger Pippa.
Pippa Lee, the young wife of a much older publisher, looks over the various stages of her life and tries to come to terms with her life and unhappiness.This is a really good film with a top flight cast (Robin Wright Penn, Alan Arkin, Maria Bello, Winona Ryder, even Keanu Reeves) working at the top of their game.
All these aspects are conveyed in flashbacks and the film goes in between different times in her life in a skilled way - almost like it is showing us the layering of her mind so that the viewer gets to understand her mental state through the clever editing, camera work and sensitive portrayal of characters.
I found the film of Private Lives of Pippa Lee much more interesting than the book.
In terms of acting chops on view Keanu Reeves is a feather-merchant and doesn't really belong in the same movie as Julianne Moore, Alan Arkin and the rest but Miller's skillful direction carries him and makes it appear that he's actually giving a performance.
Robin Wright Penn Delivers As Pippa Lee. Written and directed by Rebecca Miller, The Private Lives of Pippa Lee is a film that chronicles the fictional life of a woman named Pippa who has a neurotic amphetamine-addicted mother with an obsessive fixation on Pippa's looks.It stars Robin Wright Penn in the title role together with Alan Arkin,Maria Bello,Monica Bellucci,Blake Lively,Julianne Moore,Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder.Pippa Lee is the loving mother of two grown children, and the wife of successful publisher Herb.
Perhaps it's my age but I just didn't see anything compelling about Blake Lively's Pippa that would interest an older man except for her nubility and I don't think that Arkin's character is meant to be that one-dimensional.
While there isn't a lot new here I found the movie enjoyable for the roles that Robin Wright and Alan Arkin created.Robin Wright Penn is Pippa Lee, married to a man 30 years older.
Alan Arkin is her husband, Herb Lee, who early in life figured out he wasn't a very good writer, so he became a publisher.