Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Alice Adams


I don't remember the last time a movie made me so tense and uncomfortable. Well I guess I can, but because they were terrible movies and not due to great acting and directing. I've seen a lot of Katharine Hepburn films but after seeing her play Alice Adams, I think this is one of her finest roles ever. Alice is trying hard to fit in with a social set to which she does not belong and exerts a tremendous amount of energy pretending to have a wonderful time when she isn't. The real tragedy of the film is that Alice spends so much time portraying the person she wants to be, you get a sense that Alice doesn't really know herself at all. I felt myself on the verge of all out weeping throughout the length of the film and was saving my tears for the very end which did not end as I had expected it to. I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't seen it and want to but it doesn't end the way the book on which it is based (by Booth Tarkington) though both Hepburn and director George Steven's wanted it to. The producers desired a "happy" ending much like they did at the end of "Breakfast at Tiffany's" (unlike the ending of Truman Capote's novel). For some reason, my mind doesn't accept these nice, neat little Hollywood endings and I cry at the end as if they ended badly.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

This is my all-time favorite Katharine Hepburn movie. I actually like the happy ending, though... I'm not the kind of person that wants all movies to end happily, but in this one I think her character deserved it..

vivienne strauss said...

You know Kate, I thought about this movie all night until I fell asleep, and you're right, Alice did deserve a happy ending!

Linda Summerfield said...

I have never seen this film, I will order it on Netflix. Thanks for the review!
Your Pal,
Linda