But WWII spurred Universal to make different and more serious movies, and so the tale awaited rediscovery as a viable motion picture. The novel had very nearly made it to the big screen once before: Universal had optioned the successful book with plans to make it into a movie musical with a top star of the time, Billie Burke (best-known as Glinda the Good Witch in “The Wizard of Oz”), as Miss Pettigrew. Producer Nellie Bellflower, Oscar nominee for “Finding Neverland,” offers that the power of Winifred Watsons story lies in its ability to make the reader happily believe that anything might be possible. She knew it was a winner, and she was absolutely right. She would go over dialogue in her mind while she was washing dishes, and then write after finishing the dishes. She told me she had written Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day in six weeks, from start to finish. My father and I tried to get her to write again, but she wouldnt, remembers her son Keith Pickering. But writing was phased out of her life during World War II and the concurrent and subsequent commitment to her husband and newborn son. Her other works, more dramatic than Miss Pettigrew, were well-reviewed and popular. Her books were about women changing their lives, flouting convention, and addressing class tensions and extramarital sex. The author wrote 6 novels in total and was a bit ahead of her time, says producer Stephen Garrett. As the oldest film studio site in the world, Ealing itself was a vital part of London in 1939.įirst published in 1938, the novel “Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day” was written by Winifred Watson (1907-2002). The film takes place in the London of 1939, as re-created by the filmmakers on location in the U.K., including at the storied Ealing Studios. The Oscar-winning McDormand says, 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.Īdams, the Oscar nominee recently seen starring in the hit Enchanted, adds 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. What does it take to bring together one of the film industrys most respected actresses and one of its rising stars A fairy tale for adults, says director Bharat Nalluri of “Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day,” which teams Frances McDormand and Amy Adams.
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