Woman of the Year
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DVD Cover Information Actor: Fay Bainter, Katharine Hepburn, Minor Watson, Reginald Owen, Spencer Tracy Director: George Stevens Brand: Warner Brothers Cinematographer: Joseph Ruttenberg Editor: Frank Sullivan Producer: Joseph L. Mankiewicz Writer: John Lee Mahin Writer: Michael Kanin Writer: Ring Lardner Jr. DVD: Region Code 1 Audio: English (Original Language); French (Original Language); German (Original Language); Russian (Original Language); Spanish (Original Language) Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, DVD, NTSC Picture Format: 1.33:1 Running Time: 114 minutes DVD Release Date: 2000-09-19 Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Model: 65097 Studio: Warner Home Video |
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Movie Reviews of Woman of the Year
Movie Review: "I've just launched Gerald."
Summary: 3 Stars
George Stevens' "Woman of the Year" is a romantic comedy mixed with social commentary. Between the laughs is mixed in a pair of messages: (1) that success in life can feel somewhat empty if you have no one to share it with, and (2) a domestic home life can prove to be a daunting challenge to even the most accomplished of public figures.
Newspaper columnist Tess Harding (Katharine Hepburn) is drawn into a good natured war of words with a co-worker over comments she made during a radio show. Although entertaining to readers, the printed jabs hurled between her and sportswriter Sam Craig (Spencer Tracy) comes to an abrupt end when their boss makes it clear he wants his newspaper writers to maintain a united front to the public. During this announcement, the two writers meet for the first time and become smitten with one another. Although Tess and Sam seemingly have nothing in common, they grow closer and eventually marry. However, problems begin almost immediately as Tess is unable to comprehend the importance of being married and Sam becomes frustrated with her inability to keep her work life and home life separate. Tess, however, soon gains some valuable insight into her situation when she attends her father's wedding and soon Tess and Sam are reunited with a much better understanding of their relationship.
Watching Hepburn and Tracy work their magic on screen gives "Woman of the Year" a special charm. Yet the film produces some mixed reactions. Despite the quality of its performances and its addressing of relevant social issues, its messages come across as a little misguided. The film implies that a successful career and a fulfilling domestic life are incompatible for women. To make matters worse, the screwball manner in which Tess is portrayed in the last third of the film causes the film to lose more of its luster. It seems that the intent was to add in more comedy to the final act to help offset the mounting drama, but the comedy comes at the expense of undermining Tess' character. The positive role model she created for women up to this point is washed away as the bumbling Tess finds it difficult to accomplish such simple tasks as lighting a stove or making toast. Yet, despite this unfortunate turn of events, "Woman of the Year" is still an entertaining film. The writing is sharp for the most part and the baseball game sequence is a classic. Tracy's final scene in the film is also great as he finally lets Tess' personal assistant know what he really thinks of him. Chalk up "Woman of the Year" as a film that fell short of its aspirations but is still solid entertainment nonetheless.