George Cukor seems to know exactly what to bring into this movie. He brings this classic comedy with special pleasure to Katherine Hepburn fans, Cary Grant and James Stewart. Philadelphia Story is the second Hepburn-Grant collaboration I've watched after Bringing up baby (1938), although the same Screwball comedy, The Philadelphia Story has a much better luck than Bringing up baby, in fact, it's one of Grant's great films - Hepburn - Stewart and still appreciated until now, 72 years after its release (Gosh..it was a long long time ago).
Socialite of a wealthy family in Philadelphia, Tracy Lord (Hepburn) will marry George Kittredge (Howard), a local businessman. What happens when a few days before the day of H, Tracy and his family the arrival of 3 very unexpected people? Mike Connor (Stewart), photographer Liz Imbrie (Hussey), messenger of Spy Magazine, who intends to preach Tracy's marriage to their newspaper and C.K. Dexter Haven (Grant) who is Tracy's ex-husband (where they divorced in an unpleasant cyclist).
Gosh..can imagine how Tracy would blow her mind at the same time she should prepare her wedding, "entertain" the two curious reporters, cover up her father's affair, keep her harmony with the fiancé and serve the ex-husband who is still very annoying and big mouth?
With the famous cast series, the proven Director always does the best in each of his work, and the comic and witty compositions of dialogue, what else is needed to concoct this movie into one of the great comedy movies? and it is great.
There are two basic themes that underlie the story. First, there is an era in which morals are highly respected, and at the same time double standards - in this case, between men and women - also thrive. Is not this something universal, something we know? I find it strange to see Tracy as necessary / should defend herself, explaining why she does not like her father having an affair with another woman. ooh .. even more awkward again see his mother, who incidentally is the party being hurt, asks Tracy not to be hard on her father, as tolerant to the actions of the husband and worse again, blaming himself. Complementing the awkwardness, it is to see his father, who is guilty of the affair, then describes it as a normal act of a man who refuses to grow old (from here I am somewhat confident in the slogan "boys will be boys"
Although Tracy is a heroine in this film, she is not described without weakness, because she is too quick to judge people, for the size of a clever and independent woman of her time, she feels a bit "quick". No matter how much audiences support Tracy, she's too quick to judge her father, her ex-husband who was (or now) an alcoholic and a spy magazine reporter who is certainly seen coming from a lower social class. In terms of this social class, Tracy is not alone, because Connor and Imbre also look to the rich, hehe .. remembered a scene where Connor was astonished at the sight of a room full of jewelry and caught by the butler in the house, awkwardly he left as though to open his jacket to show that he did not take anything.
But from here, there is a side theme that can add to the weight of this film, which is about two social classes, where social classes look at each other and change, is it possible that people who go to class (such as social climber) would behave like a class attitudes goal or fixed maintaining the attitude of the class attitude of origin. Oh well, maybe this is where the value of the stories and manuscripts from Donald Ogden Stewart is, Complex, real, sharp but not hypocritical with imaging.
This film is very special for Hepburn, after The Philadelphia story, Hepburn can be regarded as one of the great icons of hollywood actress and the standard for the talented actress actress until now. Hepburn has been nominated for Best Actress on Leading Role at Academy awards 12 times and won 4 of them, and all for Best Actress category, not a supporting role, and this record is still held by Hepburn until now. Meryl Streep still need 2 trophies oscar again to jump this Hepburn record .. haha .. See .. 4 oscar for Best actress on leading role, have you talked a lot?
I'm Cary Grant's fans, actually feel a little guilty because from the beginning I did not really talk about her..haha. Grant is great, but in this movie Hepburn is definitely the star. Although Grant earned his share in a sharp and sarcastic dialogue (even classified as witty), his impression was straightforward. Perhaps an unexpected effect, instead of Stewart as Connor the reporter, and Hussey as a photographer, who managed to shine and steal some of the audience's attention from Hepburn. Stewart managed to steal the place Grant, and also stole Oscars for Best Actor.
Overall, The Philadelphia story, like many other classic films, is loveable and charming, of course it's about taste. I am as one of the lovers of classic films always miss some things that can not be given by modern era film movies, a feeling where we are tested to enjoy the element of classical elements (besides the black and white image and the old nuances), where the strength of a film is not always in the special effects, ciamik cinematography or clichés and mainstream things that have been too often we feel in films of the current era, but the acting is excellent, dialogue dialogue interesting and need understanding and execution manuscripts that are not half-half but twice folding is better than it should be.
Although the social situation has changed greatly from the time the film was made, The Philadelphia Story remains a timeless comedy and we can still draw many lessons from this film.
One of my favorite movies all the time (and hey..the list keep running.)