thirstydog-32613
At times this film is surprisingly progressive for it's time. Other times, it pulls back the reins and is dated and trite. For example, the two main characters (played by Spenser Tracy and Katherine Hepburn) are a married couple. Amanda and Adam Bonner, are having a heated discussion on equal rights and then she cuts someone off while she is driving, and gets yelled at by a truck driver. She just merrily waves him offas if to say, "weel what do you expect, I'm a woman." Certainly it is part of the point the film is making, but it seems to say, here is this equal and extremely intelligent woman (a lawyer who went to Yale) is still a woman because she is flighty and can't drive.Another example is when the husband brings home a bonnet, (very ugly - how could people like that stye in those days?) she falls madly in love with it and gushes like a school girl.On the other hand, some of the sexual innuendos seemed pretty racy for a film of that time and some of the feminist view points were apologetically and clearly stated.The film and the humor do not date well despite its progressive leanings. It is possible for a classic film to date well, just as some popular music from the 70's works very well now, and some music from the 70's doesn't translate at all.
HotToastyRag
If you've seen the hilarious clip of Spencer Tracy massaging Katharine Hepburn and suddenly giving her a hard spank on her bum, you've seen part of Adam's Rib. In the rest of that scene, Kate cries until Spence is sorry for hurting her feelings—and her derriere. He's willing to make amends but the only thing that makes her happy is when she immediately quits her crying and kicks him in the shin. If you laugh at that scene, you'll love the rest of the movie.Besides Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, because that film's totally different than the usual films they made together, Adam's Rib is my favorite of the Tracy-Hepburn movies. It's a hilarious battle of the sexes, with the offscreen duo playing an on screen married couple who are both lawyers and in constant competition with each other. When they take opposing sides in a trial, the courtroom erupts with tension!While Katharine Hepburn was famous for being an early feminist icon, in real life, she took everything Spencer Tracy dished out, even when it wasn't pretty. So, if you like seeing her give as good as she gets from Spence, you'll love the ninety-minute sparring match. The screenplay is funny and smart, as true to life today as it was in 1949. Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin's script will make you think about the roles in a marriage and what society will accept from a man versus a woman. When Spence claims men can use tears to get what they want just as effectively as women, or when Kate continually fights for gender equality at home and at work, you'll find yourself torn between the arguing pair—which shows it's well-written, since the script never blatantly takes sides! Watch the hilarious preview to see if you'll like it, and then rent the perfectly titled Adam's Rib for a fun afternoon with your sweetie-pie. It'll make for some very interesting conversations!
Gerardrobertson61
What a sheer delight it was to watch this movie, and I cannot understand why I have not watched it before. The chemistry between Tracy and Hepburn is clearly shown in this comedy and the banter made me smile for the whole duration of the movie. I am now keen to watch the other 8 or so movies that these two classic actors have made together, something that I have surprisingly not thought of before, given my love of the movies of the 40's and 50's. I am not going to review the story, all I am going to say is that this was one of the most enjoyable movies I have watched recently from this era, and I will be definitely adding this to my movie collection. Loved it.
SimonJack
"Adam's Rib" tickled many funny bones in its time. But it may not be as funny to people today. The 21st century is well beyond the rudimentary aspects of the battle of the sexes that was starting on a roll after WW II. Still, seeing this movie will give a modern audience an idea of what the big differences were way back when. It's still very amusing and entertaining. If some of the humor isn't as funny today, it has a wonderful theme of romance that is sure to please. Here's an example of some of the funny lines in this film: "Lawyers should never marry lawyers. It's called inbreeding. They just have idiots and more lawyers." This MGM film was a good vehicle for mega-stars Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. It was the third of six pairings the couple had on screen. Off-screen they had a 25-year romance, although Tracy remained married to his wife until his death in 1967. Tracy won two best actor Oscars -- 1938 for "Captains Courageous," and 1939 for "Boys Town." He had seven more Academy Award nominations. He also won a best actor Golden Globe in 1954 for "The Actress," and received three more nominations. In 1969, he won the best actor award from BAFTA, the British version of the Academy Awards, for "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner." And, he had four other BAFTA nominations in his career.Katherine Hepburn holds the record of most Oscars ever won – 4. All of hers were for Best Actress. She won for "Morning Glory" in 1934, "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" in 1968, "The Lion in Winter" in 1969, and "On Golden Pond" in 1982. She earned 8 more Academy Award nominations in her career. She also had 8 Golden Globe nominations but didn't take one home. She won two BAFTA awards, and had 3 more nominations. And, she won one Emmy and had four other nominations. This film also has a very good supporting cast. Judy Holliday is another Oscar winner – for Best Actress in 1950 for "Born Yesterday." Some of the well-known character actors of the period fill other roles. For film buffs, this is a good movie to keep for the big stars alone.
AD
