And starring Alan Arkin with the Muppets…oops, with Pippa Lee…

…no, I didn’t get totally confused…it’s just that I’m writing for “The Great Muppet Guest Star Caper” Blogathon and I decided to use Alan Arkin, who was a guest star in the Muppets to get me to the movie “The Private Lives of Pippa Lee”.

Alan Arkin plays Herb Lee, retired husband of much younger Pippa Lee (Robin Wright…then still Robin Wright Penn). Having sold up their huge mansion to lead a simpler, quieter life in a retirement village, things don’t turn up so tranquil (and possibly boring as expected by Pippa) after all.

You see, very early on we realise that while Herb is enjoying his new life (although, even here you soon realise he just can’t leave his success behind), Pippa Lee just doesn’t really fit in. But it isn’t only the retirement village that is the problem…no, you realise that poor Pippa doesn’t even fit into her own family properly. She seems to be the outsider. Even though everyone claims she is the most supportive person, the best cook and, and, and..

But of course things have to happen, have to change. We wouldn’t have a story/movie otherwise would we? And while Pippa Lee is rediscovering herself (she doesn’t want to be the perfect wife and mother) we also experience her previous life…literally from the womb.

I won’t give too much away, just in case you want to watch this 2009 Rebecca Miller movie for yourself. It is based on the book of the same name, also written by Ms Miller (and sitting on my bedside table waiting to be read). I always enjoy Rebecca Miller’s movies and this is no exception.

The rest of the cast is brilliant too – we have Blake Lively (I was introduced to her in this role) as one of the younger Pippa Lees. Mario Bello is Pippa’s drug-addicted mother. Monica Belluci, Winona Ryder, Zoe Kazan and Julianne Moore amongst others make for interesting characters. And to top it all off, Keanu Reeves sports a grotesque full chest tattoo as Chris, a 35 year old also going through his own personal crisis.

Sound complicated? Sound heavy? Yes, it is. But absolutely worth watching. If you like some drama.

And if you want to meet some other Muppet Guest Stars, head on over to Gill and Rebecca, the wonderful hosts of this Blogathon.

Gill is here (click here) and Rebecca is here (click here).

 

Advertisement