Bird's Eye View

New Film From Rebecca Miller: The Private Lives of Pippa Lee

Rebecca Miller

BEV’s new reviewer Marcie MacLellan has both read and watched Private Lives of Pippa Lee, and last week had the chance to talk to the inspirational director, Rebecca Miller. Read on for her review:

“I’ve had enough of being an enigma, I want to be known.”
When this line is delivered by the title character of Rebecca Miller’s new film, The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, it’s hard to predict what surprises are in store. Played by a subdued Robin Wright-Penn, Pippa Lee appears to be anything but mysterious. But as with any good movie, all is not as it seems.

Perhaps this line is one of the more poignant in the film because Miller is a bit of an enigma herself. Writer, director and best-selling author of the book of the same name, Miller’s life could read like a Hollywood script. But it’s her unwillingness to box her film into a particular genre or wax lyrical about its main message that makes her so elusive – in the best kind of way.

To be fair, she’s earned the right to go on a bit. But Miller is more reserved than boastful when it comes to her success. Perhaps this is because so much of it has already been said. As the daughter of playwright Arthur Miller and Austrian photographer Inge Morath, she pursued both art and acting before finding her way behind the camera. Since then, her work speaks for itself and includes the films Personal Velocity: Three Portraits. The Ballad of Jack and Rose (starring husband Daniel Day-Lewis) and Angela, all of which she wrote and directed.
While Miller’s life seems to draw very few parallels to the seemingly simple life of Pippa Lee, in both cases, there is obviously so much more to know.

Robin Wright Penn and Keanu Reeves

We first meet Pippa as she hosts a dinner party with all the decorum of a 50s housewife. Almost annoyingly serene, it doesn’t take long to realise that Pippa is hiding more than a few secrets.
Residing in a retirement home dubbed ‘Wrinklebury’ with her husband Herb (Alan Arkin) thirty years her senior, Pippa’s voiceover tells her story. Young Pippa (Blake Lively) was raised by a drug-addicted mother, lived through a debauched pill-popping and S&M phase, and survived a disturbing incident involving Herb’s ex-wife. Throughout the film, these memories serve to both revive and destroy the adult life Pippa has fought so hard to create.

Monica Bellucci and Alan Arkin

If the film’s supporting cast is reflective of the kind of support Miller has garnered in Hollywood, she’s faring pretty well. Among them is Maria Bello as Pippa’s emotionally unpredictable mother, Winona Ryder as the brilliantly weak-willed best friend and Keanu Reeves as the mysterious Jesus-loving neighbour. Brief appearances by Julianne Moore and Monica Belluci complete this impressive ensemble cast.

No matter how worth watching this film is, its subject matter will make it unlikely to become a summer blockbuster. Though yet to be released in the UK, reviewers have already dubbed the film a ‘chick-flick’, a term I’m not so sure that Miller would take kindly to. As one of the few successful female screenwriters in the industry, she shed some light on the challenges facing those who want to tell a story in a strong female voice.

“I can’t say that there is absolutely no sexism in the industry. You are treated differently in so many ways. But at the same time, it’s not so easy to pinpoint,” said Miller. “It is true that if you have a movie made with a male protagonist, you have a 70% higher chance of success. And if you want to talk about women’s stories, you are going to have a hard time getting the money.”

Blake Lively as young Pippa

At this, Miller reflects back on earlier years in film, when strong women like Joan Crawford and Barbara Stanwyck set the bar high. She’s hopeful that Hollywood can return to those days. In the meantime, for aspiring screenwriters and directors of either gender, Miller’s advice is to stick with it.  And she should know. Always one to create her own opportunities, she’s learned first-hand that directing or screenwriting is not a career that comes easily.

“People can spend their life waiting, but it is important keep going on with your life. You will always be a better writer by living,” said Miller. “Let your writing be your own, for all its jaggedness. Every movie I make could only be made by me. Do I think this film is perfect? No. But I feel that I’ve done something worthwhile.”

With her knack for making all the hard work seem worth it, Miller could most certainly be a role model for anyone looking to make a career in film. Perhaps that’s where her similarity with Pippa Lee comes in. In the end, the character of Pippa Lee sets an example for those wanting to live a full life, despite the challenges they face.

“To me, Pippa Lee is a role model. She isn’t a victim. She listens to other people and she doesn’t have to impose herself on the world in order to think of herself as a human being of worth,” said Miller. “What I like about her so much is that she just wants to live life in a beautiful way, in a good way, and be a good person. She is genuinely searching for a way to find herself in the world.”

Find out how to support Rebecca Miller and her film The Private Lives of Pippa Lee through the Birds Eye View First Weekenders Club. Get out there and buy tickets this weekend!