A Decent Remake, but Just Misses the Mark

The Philadelphia Story is one of my all-time favorite films along with Gone With the Wind and Casablanca. Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart are two of my favorite actors. Katharine Hepburn, while not a favorite, rarely makes a misstep in these types of comical farces (also see Bringing Up Baby).

However, despite my obvious bias, I was willing to give this film a chance because I wanted to see a different take on the film and I love musicals. Instead of comparing them, I will just treat this one on its own merits.

The leads felt...wrong. Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly had little to no chemistry in roles that demanded it. I had a hard time accepting them as former lovers who still long for each other. The dialogue which should have been snappy, was delivered in a slow, almost melancholy manner which ruined the pacing of the plot. Sinatra, however, nailed his role as Mike. He played it perfectly as a guy out of his element, but feeling a part of it all. I would have preferred Sinatra and Crosby switch roles, because I think Sinatra and Kelly had more chemistry and their scenes actually resonated more with me. Kelly as Tracy was hard to accept simply because I don't think comedy is in her blood. Her scenes as the uptight Tracy were fine, but once she had to let loose, she looked almost uncomfortable. Her timing was just off in the scenes requiring witty, snappy rapport. Not totally her fault as Crosby doesn't do farce well either.

The supporting players are where this movie shined. I adored Celeste Holm as Liz. Her duet with Sinatra on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" was a high point of the film. She also did the subtle comedy well with her asides to both Mike and Tracy's comments. John Lund as George didn't have much to do. This is where I think both films suffered. The character of George should have been more developed. He was too easy to dismiss. It would have been more interesting to have him be a suitable mate and not just a straight arrow. Lydia Reed as Caroline held her own against more seasoned actors and her scene in the ballet dress was pretty funny.

Turning this into a musical I think was a mistake. The music (aside from the Sinatra/Holm number mentioned above) was weak. Louis Armstrong's casting seemed a bit too gimmicky for my taste. I like Satchmo, but his role here was just to have his name in the film.

This is not so much a remake as a reimagining with the same dialogue. I liked it, but I still think The Philadelphia Story was far superior.


My memory foam pillow says it can't remember my face. I can tell its lying.