the ENDING

The ending was absolutely perfect.
I think the scene that had me most emotional was Joe taking Ann back to where she had been situated, and the lingering hug in the automobile that resulted in a bit of tears from Joe who seemed to live a simple life of being a journalist before he met her. It had the whole "The day was over and both wishing it had never ended" feel to it. Many mixed emotions and feelings words cannot describe. Then seeing them both stare at each other in the press conference with Joe trying to control some tears was a nice touch.
You knew everything that was going on, it was wonderful. Im almost surprised this wasnt the first Hepburn movie i ever watched (prob 4th behind Sabrina, Charade and Breakfast at Tiffanys)

If you want to feel they got back together, did you know there was Hollywood talk in the 80s of reuniting Hepburn and Peck, who in real life were great friends, for a sequel to Roman Holiday? The two would have been reunited and married, with Hepburn now queen and Peck a succesful novelist.

I'll give you a bit of ROYAL REALITY:
Edward VII giving up the British throne just because of being in love forever with Wally Simpson. And it happend more than 20 years earlier. There!
Except that as Joe said: "Life isn't about getting everything you want"

But then, Can it be please just getting what is most important to them?

Of course. You gave Ann one more day and she would have never come back to the princessdom...
If every animal had wings the sh*t of this world would be evenly spread

I think that is the great part about this movie. That the couple doesn't end up together. It is more realistic ( it reminds me of a Princess Margaret of England who fell in love with a man she couldn't marry) but besides that, it is so poignant and heartbreaking, I love the scene where Gregory Peck is walking out of the throne room. A part of me always screams "Come on Ann, run out to him and leave!" and I think of the tragedy that they did not get together. Were they the love of each others life or was this brief interlude something that would enrich their lives and allow them to love others fully. Joe could find a woman like Ann while Ann could endear herself more to others.

The funny thing is at the end of The Graduate by the expressions on their two faces sitting in the rear of the bus it is dawning on them what the hell have we gotten ourselves into? I think that was clearly what director Mike Nichols wanted to get across. It was in fact as much a bittersweet ending as Roman Holiday, the difference being that Joe and Ann acted more maturely and rationally in their situation- they didn't let it get quite as crazy and saved themselves potential future heartbreak.

I've seen this film a couple of times and I love it and I laugh and cry and smile, but, I always end up bitterly disappointed in the ending. It makes the rest of this enchanting movie seem such a waste when it ends like that. I know it's realistic as they can't be together, but, I don't watch movies - especially ones like this - for realism and I always end up deflated after the movie has finished

I agree!! The director was brilliant with this last scene. The slow walk and the camera moving backward with Joe looking forlorn and also having the last place we see the princess in the background. The audience can see Joe and imagine the emotions he must be feeling at that moment while their eyes flicker to the background hoping Anne comes running out. Then he stops, takes one last look and the audience is just waiting for Anne to appear...but she doesn't. So he turns and walks away. Very smart way to play on the audience's emotions

"Kiss my Converse!" -Sho'nuff: The Shogun of Harlem.