What a tedious, torturous movie. Katharine Hepburn simpers and over-acts beyond belief; it's hard to tell whether her affectations belong to the actress or the character she's playing. (Heck, maybe the character was written this way to accommodate Hepburn's own mannerisms? Wouldn't be the first time a role was written specifically to suit her - well, technically it might be the *first* time, since "The Philadelphia Story" came years later). In any case, she's always Performing, and I never felt like I got to know the "real" Alice Adams.
Not that I really want to. We're supposed to feel sorry for Alice, being from a "poor" (really middle class), unrefined family, snubbed by the rich snobs at parties, and so on. But, damn, I'd ignore her too - who'd want to hang out with someone who puts on such ridiculous airs, lies about everything, and yammers on and on without letting you get a word in edgewise?
Well, Fred MacMurray, apparently, whose inexplicable interest in Alice is, um, never really explained. What's the attraction? Funny moment: While they're dancing at a party, Hepburn flirts in the most nauseating manner, fishing for compliments about why he's dancing with her and not the other girls. His reply? Oh, the other girls are too bony/skinny. And I suppose Katharine Hepburn is a warm, voluptuous, fleshy handful? Yeah, right..in a skeletal sort of way.
MacMurray's character is sorta-maybe engaged to a girl from a rich family. Will he be won over by the oh-so-subtle machinations of Alice Adams? Or will he be put off by her uncouth family? Will Alice's brother convince her to come down off her high horse and mingle with the common people? Interestingly, the brother associates with "coloured" folks - we see him recognizing and heartily greeting the black bandleader at a party (mortifying poor Alice, tsk tsk!), conversing with "the help", preferring their company to that of the snooty partygoers, etc. All of this is obviously meant to indicate how "low" and uncultured Alice's brother is, but to modern audiences (or at least, to *me*), it makes him the most tolerable character in the film, since he comes across as the least pretentious and least prejudiced of the bunch.
Meanwhile, Alice's parents squabble constantly - see, her mother spoils her rotten (although Alice is ashamed of her roots, the brat), and keeps nagging her husband to make more money so their daughter will be accepted by the rich crowd. Funny, nobody counsels Alice to stop obsessing over wealth, social position and other superficial things - to accept who she is and stop making a fool of herself trying so hard to win the acceptance of snobs who aren't worth it - no, not to win them over exactly...more like, trying so hard to pretend she's *already* one of them, despite their obvious contempt for her. It's embarrassing to watch. But not sympathy-inducing. I just wanted to shake Alice and ask "Why? Why in god's name do you want to be with shallow snobs anyway? Oh, I forgot, 'cause *you're* a shallow snob too...minus the money."
Also, why does Alice talk to her father (and make faces at him) like he's 5 years old?! And why does he seem to like it? Shall we chalk it up to more bad acting from Hepburn? Yes, let's!
Now if you'll excuse me, I feel like offering my beau a wilted rose and some witless prose. Whilst I gaze up at the sky in rapture at some heavenly music only I can hear. Then, if anyone compliments me (after some shameless fishing on my part), I think I'll twitter like a twit and duck my head coyly. Alas, I must go now and play peek-a-boo with dear old Daddy. Mummy doesn't play with him enough. Ta ta!
Not that I really want to. We're supposed to feel sorry for Alice, being from a "poor" (really middle class), unrefined family, snubbed by the rich snobs at parties, and so on. But, damn, I'd ignore her too - who'd want to hang out with someone who puts on such ridiculous airs, lies about everything, and yammers on and on without letting you get a word in edgewise?
Well, Fred MacMurray, apparently, whose inexplicable interest in Alice is, um, never really explained. What's the attraction? Funny moment: While they're dancing at a party, Hepburn flirts in the most nauseating manner, fishing for compliments about why he's dancing with her and not the other girls. His reply? Oh, the other girls are too bony/skinny. And I suppose Katharine Hepburn is a warm, voluptuous, fleshy handful? Yeah, right..in a skeletal sort of way.
MacMurray's character is sorta-maybe engaged to a girl from a rich family. Will he be won over by the oh-so-subtle machinations of Alice Adams? Or will he be put off by her uncouth family? Will Alice's brother convince her to come down off her high horse and mingle with the common people? Interestingly, the brother associates with "coloured" folks - we see him recognizing and heartily greeting the black bandleader at a party (mortifying poor Alice, tsk tsk!), conversing with "the help", preferring their company to that of the snooty partygoers, etc. All of this is obviously meant to indicate how "low" and uncultured Alice's brother is, but to modern audiences (or at least, to *me*), it makes him the most tolerable character in the film, since he comes across as the least pretentious and least prejudiced of the bunch.
Meanwhile, Alice's parents squabble constantly - see, her mother spoils her rotten (although Alice is ashamed of her roots, the brat), and keeps nagging her husband to make more money so their daughter will be accepted by the rich crowd. Funny, nobody counsels Alice to stop obsessing over wealth, social position and other superficial things - to accept who she is and stop making a fool of herself trying so hard to win the acceptance of snobs who aren't worth it - no, not to win them over exactly...more like, trying so hard to pretend she's *already* one of them, despite their obvious contempt for her. It's embarrassing to watch. But not sympathy-inducing. I just wanted to shake Alice and ask "Why? Why in god's name do you want to be with shallow snobs anyway? Oh, I forgot, 'cause *you're* a shallow snob too...minus the money."
Also, why does Alice talk to her father (and make faces at him) like he's 5 years old?! And why does he seem to like it? Shall we chalk it up to more bad acting from Hepburn? Yes, let's!
Now if you'll excuse me, I feel like offering my beau a wilted rose and some witless prose. Whilst I gaze up at the sky in rapture at some heavenly music only I can hear. Then, if anyone compliments me (after some shameless fishing on my part), I think I'll twitter like a twit and duck my head coyly. Alas, I must go now and play peek-a-boo with dear old Daddy. Mummy doesn't play with him enough. Ta ta!