In Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, making whoopee is divine but sisterhood is powerful. This screwball frolic set in 1939 London stars Amy Adams as would-be West End headliner Delysia Lafosse and Frances McDormand as Miss Pettigrew, the failed governess who winds up as her social secretary.

It's an unusual and engaging romantic comedy because it's mostly about how these women ready each other for real love. Their friendship is the fulcrum on which success with men is based.

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (Focus) Starring Amy Adams, Frances McDormand, Shirley Henderson. Directed by Bharat Nalluri. Rated PG-13. Time 101 minutes.