The defence The Sentimental Softie
“Sincerity is not manipulation.”
The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.
Back to trending 
The Private Lives of Pippa Lee
Comedy · Drama · Romance · 2009
After her much older husband forces a move to a suburban retirement community, Pippa Lee engages in a period of reflection and finds herself heading toward a quiet nervous breakdown.
Movie details
The Private Lives of Pippa Lee
“She lived many lives ― except her own.”
2009 Comedy · Drama · Romance 1h 38m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
5.9 / 10
Community rating
After her much older husband forces a move to a suburban retirement community, Pippa Lee engages in a period of reflection and finds herself heading toward a quiet nervous breakdown.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over The Private Lives of Pippa Lee?
For the defence
The Sentimental Softie
“You came to feel something, and you will.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Cool Ironist
“Feeling things is a little embarrassing.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
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Young Adult
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Where it lives
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Rebecca Miller
Written by
Rebecca Miller
Robin Wright
Pippa Lee
Alan Arkin
Herb Lee
Keanu Reeves
Chris Nadeau
Julianne Moore
Kat
Winona Ryder
Sandra Dulles
Mike Binder
Sam Shapiro
Cornel West
Don Sexton
Court is in session
Put The Private Lives of Pippa Lee on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Cool Ironist
“The strings are showing.”
Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.