Adam's Rib [PG]

A suspicious wife trails her two-timing husband to his love nest and then attempts to shoot him. The news is everywhere with men reading the headline and all in favour of the woman’s conviction, and women reading the it with a profound “you go girl” perception. The news appeals particularly to lawyer, Amanda Bonner, a proto-feminist who takes the job of defending the accused. Unfortunately, Amanda’s husband Adam is the prosecuting attorney and the heated legal battle that takes place in court begins to have damaging repercussions at home. 

I find it saddening to see that there really are not many famous on-screen couples of great calibre in today’s cinema. We see constant partnerships such as Johnny Depp and Tim Burton, Adam Sandler and Rob Schneider, and of course the quintet circuit of Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Ben Stiller, and Vince Vaugn, but there are no more constant couples like Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton and, of course, Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn. This immortal pairing were household names back in the day and together they made nine films from the 40s right through to the 60s, with a beautiful real love story behind them all the way. Adam’s Rib is a fantastic battle-of-the-sexes flick that crackles with wit and passion as well as displays a most beautiful and genuine chemistry between its leads. It’s utterly fabulous. 

A suspicious wife trails her two-timing husband to his love nest and then attempts to shoot him. The news is everywhere with men reading the headline and all in favour of the woman’s conviction, and women reading the it with a profound “you go girl” perception. The news appeals particularly to lawyer, Amanda Bonner, a proto-feminist who takes the job of defending the accused. Unfortunately, Amanda’s husband Adam is the prosecuting attorney and the heated legal battle that takes place in court begins to have damaging repercussions at home. 

I don’t care who you are, there is something so passionate and genuinely appealing about these battle-of-the-sexes movies. The script is fabulous, armed with biting wit and sometimes snide and cynical comments that is balanced against robust and flagrant sexist opinions and equality messages, and bringing voices to perfectly match that script is the immortal team of Tracy and Hepburn. 

Katherine Hepburn as Amanda delivers an empowering performance that was thickly coated in opinion, passion, overt strength, and biting wit. 

Tracy’s performance takes a more silent and passively brooding note until provoked to the utmost limit and he played the role with cool class and subtle humour. 

Starring Judy Holliday, Tom Ewell, David Wayne, Francis Attinger, Hope Emerson, and Jean Hagen, Adam’s Rib is a great movie filled with wonderful dialogue, drama, passion, strong equality messages, and comedy. I loved it.