Review of Woman of the Year (1942) by Arshi R — 10 May 2010

Grade: C+.

*There are spoilers in this review*.

Woman of the Year is the first collaboration between Spencer Tracy & Kate Hepburn. The film is about a relationship and marriage between a lowbrow sports writer and a seemingly world famous political columnist, who both happen to work at the same newspaper.

As far as the love story goes, I was not really impressed. The dialogue was mostly just plain bland, except for some instances, but those were just good biting one liners delivered by Hepburn; it isn't without its moments. The film plays better as a look into the past at what a decent attempt at a comedic feminist love story would have looked like; Woman of the Year is that film to a tee, cop-out ending intact.

The film basically showcases the unravelling of a relationship that never should have started in the first place, nor unfolded in the way it does. These two people hardly have anything in common, except an obvious sexual attraction which neither character can seem to do anything about. The physical chemistry is there, however neither the screenplay nor the times in which the film were made allow the film to realistically flesh out the characters, and the one thing that should really draw them together; sex.

The film is very much a product of the women's movement, and the more prominent role of woman in the workplace. Hepburn is a dream in the role, I just love this woman. She is so similar in so many of her films I'm starting to notice, and always seems to go through similar arc's and problems; her views and outlook on life also have similarities, and she exudes certain ideas rather than merely saying them, something I think she brings to her characters as much as the screenplays do.

Hepburn's character is a basically using her paper to create good PR for herself and promote her feminist image; the whole thing, even if she half believes in it, is ruining her marriage because it is consuming all her time and attention. Basically everything she does is interrupting their relationship, and most of it has to do with her worrying about herself and her image, even if she professes to care for the world. She cannot find a balance, she was not created for it, and marriage is quickly put on the backburner, much to Spencer Tracy's chagrin.

It was obvious to me from the get go, but for some there will be an increasing obviousness of how the two getting married was a stupid decision; now this isn't such a bad thing, and is pretty interesting in some spots, even if it is really repetitive and obvious. Hepburn's character, wrong as she usually is in these movies, comes to realize the error of her ways. What follows is the most cop-out Hollywood ending you'll ever see, wherein Hepburn's character comes home and acts the role of the obediently serving housewife; the slowly paced and overwrought ending, utterly contrived, (like many of the film's scenario that propel it forward with disregard for continuity and any semblance of realism) was like the film was setting off my gag reflex.

The film just ends and I thought, ok, so what? Sure it was kind of fun, and sort of interesting, but didn't I already know it was all going to happen, and didn't the filmmaker take a lot of liberties with the plot that didn't end up satisfying. Couldn't the Screenwriters have put a bit more care into some of the logical aspects, which would have been easy to overcome (certain conversations contradict themselves, and when it thinks it's smart, the writers are actually mistaken about the logic of things said and done).

Still though, I was mildly entertained, but this film goes in the "ageing badly" section of 40's films I've seen; still, not the worst, far from it, just far from the best, in my opinion. I am surprised the film has such a high tomatometer, but am eased in mind by the fact that Dave Kehr didn't think much of certain of the films aspects either. Notice in didn't mention the characters names once in my review. Thats because a day after seeing this film, I don't remember nor do I care to look up the names; it's all Tracy and Hepburn from where I'm sitting.