The Private Lives of Pippa Lee

Play trailer

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee

R

Released Nov 27, 2009

1h 33m

Comedy

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

69%

Tomatometer

75 Reviews

50%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Pippa Lee (Robin Wright Penn) is a middle-aged woman married to a much older man named Herb (Alan Arkin), a celebrated publisher. After she and Herb move to a retirement community, Pippa's troubled past bubbles to the surface. Though a neighbor's son (Keanu Reeves) acts as her confidante, Pippa slowly inches toward a nervous breakdown.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Critics Consensus

Reverential and offbeat, the road trip film Private lives of Pippa Lee takes emotional detours and is elevated by great performances, particularly that of Robin Wright-Penn.

Read Critics Reviews

Lisa Schwarzbaum

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: C

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

Perri Nemiroff

CinemaBlend

A feel-good film, both disconcerting and rewarding on all fronts.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 12, 2010

Full Review

Ian Buckwalter

NPR

As a woman under the influence of everyone but herself, Pippa often feels lost when she's on her own - a blank slate with no one holding a chalk - Robin Wright Penn allows us to get to know a character who still doesn't really know herself.

Rated: 7.1/10

Jul 4, 2010

Full Review

Jason Best

Movie Talk

Robin Wright Penn gives a subtle and soulful performance as a longtime wife and mother belatedly seeking to find herself in middle age.

Nov 22, 2020

Full Review

Mattie Lucas

From the Front Row

There is an episodic quality to the film that doesn't quite work, but Robin Wright Penn's strong central performance and Miller's capable screenplay deftly navigate the familiar trajectory of the story.

Rated: 2.5/4

Aug 5, 2019

Full Review

Dave White

Movies.com

Rated: 3.5/5

Apr 4, 2011

Full Review

Read all reviews

Steve D

Strong cast and not much else.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

10/08/23

Full Review

Richard E

A fine cast and a quirky story.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/15/23

Full Review

tom m

I guess I had watched this a decade ago, but I have no recollection of it. In any case, I enjoyed it. Quite a high-powered cast. A well-told story.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Wright's spotty past lands her in a relationship with a man twice her age - but when he winds up having an affair in a nursing home, she finds herself rediscovering herself.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/12/23

Full Review

nilufer e

I liked this little movie that I have never heard about. The cast was incredible, I liked the characters and the twists, it was a good drama which felt quite real.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This movie projects many life stories and tells her story as real and raw as it is in life's many journeys. I just loved it!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Rebecca Miller

Director

Robin Wright

Pippa Lee

Keanu Reeves

Chris

Alan Arkin

Herb Lee

Julianne Moore

Kat

Winona Ryder

Sandra Dulles

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

The Rum Diary

51%

36%

The Rum Diary

Watchlist

Sunshine Cleaning

74%

63%

Sunshine Cleaning

Watchlist

Life During Wartime

68%

48%

Life During Wartime

Watchlist

Somewhere

71%

48%

Somewhere

Watchlist

Solitary Man

78%

50%

Solitary Man

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Critics Consensus: Flee From Ninja Assassin

View more photos

Synopsis

Pippa Lee (Robin Wright Penn) is a middle-aged woman married to a much older man named Herb (Alan Arkin), a celebrated publisher. After she and Herb move to a retirement community, Pippa's troubled past bubbles to the surface. Though a neighbor's son (Keanu Reeves) acts as her confidante, Pippa slowly inches toward a nervous breakdown.

Director: Rebecca Miller
Producer: Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Lemore Syvan
Screenwriter: Rebecca Miller
Distributor: Screen Media Ventures
Production Co: Elevation Filmworks, E1 Entertainment, Plan B Entertainment
Rating: R (Language|Brief Nudity|Sexual Content|Some Drug Material)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 27, 2009, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 31, 2012
Runtime: 1h 33m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

Most Popular at Home Now