The Philadelphia Story

Audience Reviews

View More

Jon S @jonchristopher Apr 29 Glossy, arch society comedy via Philip Barry's play comes to the screen starched and pressed. The classy cast is more than adept at this type of smart-talking fluff, yet there's too much of Katharine Hepburn and James Stewart (unfortunately turning Cary Grant into the proverbial third wheel). Act II tails off from the opener in both energy and wit, with far fewer laughs and more inane chatter. This material seems awfully staid and familiar, perhaps because Hepburn played her role on Broadway and hasn't found a fresh approach to the part. Stewart won an Oscar, as did Donald Ogden Stewart for his adapted screenplay (which must've caused Philip Barry discomfort), yet it's a disappointing "classic". See more Kyle M @RT77296778 Apr 4 Doubtlessly a romantic classic with an outstanding cast sharply delivering a polished script, but priorly viewing its later musical remake "High Society" in subjective form realizes it’s transcended the original’s listless engagement till the culminative climax becomes the truest payoff that finely satisfies. (B) See more Sabrina C @SabrinaCheek Jan 17 I had high expectations going into this, especially with such a legendary cast, and they splattered from stories high. Every performance was immaculate, I particularly liked Jimmy Stewart in this film. It isn't too often he played just straight comedy, so it's a treat when you get something like this. However, I felt no connection to the story or the characters. The hate for Liz felt outdated, and frankly sexist, making the love triangle feel more like an arrangement than a romance. The long rants given to her, referring to her as a cold "Queen" or a "Goddess" felt strange, because the film never showed her act in that manner. Anyone she was "cold" to deserved it. Her father was having an affair, and her ex husband was a drunk. I don't understand how she is the bad guy? And that ending... If she ended up with Jimmy Stewart's character, who was set up to UNDERSTAND her, everything would have clicked. They backed out last minute, I imagine to subdue the "scandal" of divorce See more L S @sp1np0rtal1 Dec 17 Mike’s return to Liz feels like a "consolation prize." In the reality version: By Mike seeing the "Fake Wedding," he realizes the high-society world is absurd. When he looks at Liz, it’s not because he lost Tracy; it’s because he realizes Liz is the only real person in the room. It gives Mike and Liz their own growth arc without a single line of dialogue—just a look. Since Dexter and Tracy "wed" w/o a license, the optics are moral. The "Dry Pact" is seen as a virtuous reform. It fixes the "Victim Blaming" and gives Tracy agency. It acknowledges the complexity of addiction and recovery. Cary Grant fans are appeased: He still "gets the girl," but he has to earn her, which makes his character more heroic. This preserves the "Sparkling Wit" and the "Champagne" energy of Act 1 but grounds it in Emotional Intelligence. It makes the rapid-fire dialogue feel like a precursor to a high-level business merger rather than just a bunch of people shouting at each other. See more Mitch S @sp1np0rtal Dec 17 Dexter and Tracy Lord's remarriage is a sham and would end in less than 2 years. Here is the "Adult" version of the movie that Hollywood was too afraid to make. It replaces the frantic, childish "I do!" with a sophisticated, high-stakes negotiation. By making the wedding a "Strategic Truce" and using Mike as a "What If," hedge, Tracy is transformed from a woman being bullied into a woman who has successfully stabilized a volatile situation. 1. The "Dry Pact" (The Real Stakes) In the original, the movie ignores Dexter’s alcoholism as soon as he becomes "funny" again. In a reality version, the Dry Pact gives the relationship weight. The Conflict: Dexter has to prove he can stay sober and non-violent without a "Goddess" to blame. The Power Shift: Tracy isn't "taking him back"; she is granting him a one-year conditional lease on her life. 2. Tracy patrons Mike as a Check/Hedge 3. The Mike & Liz "Smoldering Glance" See more Mason M @RT73597940 Oct 15 I'll say this film was a bit weird for me, because I don't think it's quite deserving of a rave review from me, but I also don't believe it's worth anything less than this score. The Philadelphia Story was a fun little watch that can be dry at times, but has enough good components to be great. The strongest part of the film was definitely Jimmy Stewart, one of the greatest comedic actors ever in a starring role. He's great and hilarious as always. Though I didn't have much to connect to personally with the plot, I did find it very entertaining. It does a good job managing the complex twist of characters while still making it enjoyable and natural. And though not all parts of the film were dripping with content, the sequence at night and the ending were good enough to keep this film great. See more Read all reviews

The Philadelphia Story

My Rating

Read More Read Less WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW POST RATING