Saturday, March 12, 2005

Three men and a little (very opinionated) lady: "The Philadelphia Story"

Considering I'm a child of the '80s, it's no surprise that I'd seen "The Philadelphia Experiment" way before "The Philadelphia Story." Hey, you know how kick-ass Michael Pare is. In fact, despite multiple people praising the famous Katherine Hepburn film, it wasn't until this week that I managed to see what all the fuss was about.

The verdict? Worth the hype. Still not sure if I think Kate is all that, but then again, the first movie I saw her in was "On Golden Pond," long after her heyday and when she was becoming a caricature. (Paging Martin Short ... ) Seems like she was a handful back in the day, and maybe that's what drove the guys wild ... at least on the screen. At home ... well, you married fellas can decide if you could stand her cackling, "Well ... how was your day?!?"

For me, the real treat in "The Philadelphia Story" was James Stewart, who I assumed was contractually obligated to play straight-and-narrow types. Here, he's the tabloid reporter who infiltrates Hepburn's wedding with the help of Cary Grant, her ex-husband. Hijinks ensue, complete with entertaining banter and several one-liners that hold up 65 years later. Stewart was the best, carrying himself sort of like Nicolas Cage at his prime -- more "Raising Arizona" than "Fire Birds."

Of course, some have changed since 1940. I'll let you decide if having the heroine named Tracy Lord would be a distraction today. Not that I know about porn stars or anything.

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