The Philadelphia Story

It's hard to put your finger on what exactly is so charming about old black and white films. It might be that those days were just a simpler time, but it is far more likely that it's because Hollywood was very restricted and movies were meant to entertain for the most part, not challenge or deeply affect their audience.

People tend to look down on romantic comedies and it isn't terribly hard to see why. Most of them are sappy, unoriginal, and, of course, predictable. This is not the case with The Philadelphia Story. The dialogue is sharp and witty, the characters well-developed, and the plot is anything but predictable.

I didn't fully appreciate this movie until I saw a series of truly horrible rom-coms (for which I hold my mother fully accountable). I decided it was time to write about TPS now because I saw Something Borrowed recently that seemingly had some of the qualities of TPS but was absolutely painful by the end. There were no absolutely cringe-worthy moments in the script, you could understand the psychology and relationships of the characters, and you were never quite sure with whom the protagonist would end up, yet I kept thinking, "When will this torture end?"

I think one of the greatest and most important differences is the quality of the performances in the two films. In TPS, the actors understood the complexity of the material and no one played their character as the obvious "bad guy." I think the reason for this is you are never quite sure who the protagonist is and therefore there is no clear character to root for or hate. Every character has their good and bad qualities. (Also, Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, and James Stewart... need I say more?) Something Borrowed is not cut from the same cloth; your protagonist is clearly defined and, even if it's hard to like her whiny and painfully passive nature, you know for whom you are meant to root. This makes things boringly simple and follows the typical, unoriginal formula of modern rom-coms.

Also, TPS is truly a funny, funny movie. I personally am a fan of wit over slapstick but I think there is something for everyone. There are moments of physical comedy (Virginia Weidler, the younger sister of Katharine Hepburn's character, James Stewart's existence, and Katharine Hepburn playing a delightful drunk) and layers of clever dialogue which require several viewings to catch all of it.

Parent Watchability: This is a perfect movie to watch with family, especially parents and grandparents. You might want to wait for young tots as a lot of it will be lost on them but I think you should introduce it as early as possible to them.

Categories of note:
Acting
Dialogue
Original Plot: I would like to note thiat it is easier to be original when you are the first of your kind.

You might also like: When Harry Met Sally, It Happened One Night, (500) Days of Summer, Fred Astaire films