"Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day": A Charming, Biting Romantic Comedy

CEBU, Philippines - Can you get a life and discover love, all in one day? Two women are about to find out in Focus Features’ critically acclaimed comedy Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day starring Academy Award honorees Frances McDormand (Fargo) and Amy Adams (Doubt, Enchanted).

The cast also includes Golden Globe nominee Lee Pace (TV’s Pushing Daisies), Ciarán Hinds (There Will Be Blood), Mark Strong (Stardust, Body of Lies), and screen newcomer Tom Payne.

Based on the novel by Winifred Watson, Miss Pettigrew will be shown soon exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas.

The film is set in 1939 London, where Miss Guinevere Pettigrew (McDormand) is a middle-aged governess who finds herself once again unfairly dismissed from her job. Without so much as severance pay, Miss Pettigrew realizes that she must—for the first time in two decades—seize the day. This she does, by intercepting an employment assignment outside of her comfort level—as "social secretary." Arriving at a penthouse apartment for the interview, Miss Pettigrew is catapulted into the glamorous world and dizzying social whirl of an American actress and singer, Delysia Lafosse (Adams).

Within minutes, Miss Pettigrew finds herself swept into a heady high-society milieu—and, within hours, living it up. Taking the "social secretary" designation to heart, she tries to help her new friend Delysia navigate a love life and career, both of which are complicated by the three men in Delysia's orbit; devoted pianist Michael (Pace), intimidating nightclub owner Nick (Strong), and impressionable junior impresario Phil (Payne). Miss Pettigrew herself is blushingly drawn to the gallant Joe (Hinds), a successful designer who is tenuously engaged to haughty fashion maven Edythe (Shirley Henderson)—the one person who senses that the new "social secretary" may be out of her element, and schemes to undermine her.

Over the next 24 hours, Guinevere and Delysia will empower each other to discover their romantic destinies.

"This is a stylish and entertaining story about making choices and living with the consequences—and right away I could clearly see myself playing the title role,” says McDormand of the film.

Adams shares that the film "is a female-driven story that originated from a female perspective; the journey is about finding out what—and who—is right for you, what is truly best for you, and about being true to yourself even as you step outside of your comfort zone."

Marie Ernestine yearly stage play a must-see

The Marie Ernestine School students and staff are busy preparing for their upcoming annual stage play entitled “Alice in Wonderland.” It will be held on March 31, 2009 at SM Cinema 1, 6:30 pm. The Director of the play is none other than the Directress of the school Peachy Fajatin Pegarido.

The play boosts the self-confidence of the students as well as enhances their communication skills. It is a venue where they can apply skills and learning they gleaned from school.

This annual play will be performed by both graduating and non-graduating high school and elementary students. They form part of the cast, dancers and choir. The music is done by Eugene Tan, the school’s resident composer and recording was made at A. Salonga. Chadleen Lacdo-o, Operation Smile’s miracle and a student of Marie Ernestine School will play the role of the queen.

Here’s a brief synopsis and the cast of characters of the play.

 Alice is sitting with her sister outdoors with her sister having a picnic. She is bored with the history lesson that she and her sister are reading and complains to her cat of how much better it would be if cats could talk and flowers sing. How exciting life would become. As her sister reads on she spies a White Rabbit with a pocket watch. Fascinated by the sight, she follows the rabbit down the hole. She falls for a long time, and finds herself face to face with an unusual bird, a Dodo who is off to venture on the sea with his sea pals. She tries to ask directions on how to find the White Rabbit but they are too busy.

In the woods, she comes across a Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee. She suddenly finds herself in a garden and is serenaded by lovely Roses, Violets, tulips and lilies. She then meets a Caterpillar sitting on a mushroom. He gives her some valuable advice, as well as a valuable tool: the two sides of the mushroom, which can make Alice grow larger and smaller as she wishes.  

Alice goes to the March Hare’s house, and through her journey she is treated to a Mad Tea Party. Present are the March Hare, and the Hatter. The creatures of the Mad Tea Party are some of the must confusing in all of Wonderland.

Alice leaves them and finds herself in a lovely garden. She walks on through, and finds herself in the garden of the Queen of Hearts. There, three gardeners (with bodies shaped like playing cards) are painting the roses red. If the Queen finds out that they planted white roses, she’ll have them beheaded. The Queen herself soon arrives. Alice meets the queen and the King of Hearts and they show the grandness of the palace and the royalty. When the queen asks who painted her roses, the cards tremble and so Alice helps them try to explain but the queen won’t listen. Alice helps to hide them. Suddenly, the cards chase her as well, at which point she wakes up. Her adventures in Wonderland have all been a fantastic dream! She then realizes that talking cats and rabbits may be fun and entertaining, but the reality we are in is perfect just as it is.

The cast of characters in the stage play are Julia Muana as Alice, Gian Cortes as White Rabbit, Regil Seno as Mad Hatter, John Amores as March Hare, Joseph Anthony Baring as Cheshire Cat, Chadleen Lacdo-o as Queen of Hearts, John Tabanao as King of Hearts, Matthew Anasa as Tweedle Dum, George Manus as Tweedle Dee, Nikko Caballero as Caterpillar, Lace Gabuya as Sister of Alice and Reeve Rama as Dinah, the cat.

Watch and enjoy the exciting and yearly must- see play of Marie Ernestine School. For inquiries one may contact Tel No. 346-5717.