What to know

critics consensus

Matched by Garson Kanin's witty, sophisticated screenplay, George Cukor, Spencer Tracy, and Katherine Hepburn are all in top form in the classic comedy Adam's Rib. Read critic reviews

You might also like

Where to watch

Show all services

Rate And Review

User image

Verified

  • User image

    Super Reviewer

    Rate this movie

    Oof, that was Rotten.

    Meh, it passed the time.

    It’s good – I’d recommend it.

    Awesome!

    So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

    What did you think of the movie? (optional)

  • You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

  • User image

    Super Reviewer

    Step 2 of 2

    How did you buy your ticket?

    Let's get your review verified.

    • Fandango

    • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

    • Cinemark Coming Soon

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Regal Coming Soon

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Theater box office or somewhere else

    By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.

    You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

  • User image

    Super Reviewer

    Rate this movie

    Oof, that was Rotten.

    Meh, it passed the time.

    It’s good – I’d recommend it.

    Awesome!

    So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

    What did you think of the movie? (optional)

  • How did you buy your ticket?

    • Fandango

    • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

    • Cinemark Coming Soon

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Regal Coming Soon

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Theater box office or somewhere else

    By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.

Adam's Rib Photos

View All Photos (6)

Movie Info

A courtroom rivalry finds its way into the household when prosecuting lawyer Adam Bonner (Spencer Tracy) faces off against his wife, Amanda (Katharine Hepburn), who happens to be a defense attorney. Working on opposite sides of a lawsuit where a woman (Judy Holliday) has shot her cheating husband (Tom Ewell), Adam and Amanda are both determined to win the case, and their home becomes the setting for comical showdowns, with neither spouse willing to relent.

Cast & Crew

Spencer Tracy
Adam Bonner
Katharine Hepburn
Amanda Bonner
Judy Holliday
Doris Attinger
Tom Ewell
Warren Francis Attinger
David Wayne
Kip Lurie
Jean Hagen
Beryl Caighn
Hope Emerson
Olympia La Pere
Polly Moran
Mrs. McGrath
Marvin Kaplan
Court Stenographer (uncredited)
Paula Raymond
Kip's Girlfriend (uncredited)
George Cukor
Director
Ruth Gordon
Writer
Garson Kanin
Writer
Lawrence Weingarten
Producer
Cole Porter
Original Music
Miklós Rózsa
Original Music
George J. Folsey
Cinematographer
George Boemler
Film Editor
William Ferrari
Art Direction
Cedric Gibbons
Film Editor
Show all Cast & Crew

News & Interviews for Adam's Rib

Five Favorite Films with Jake Gyllenhaal
Fehr Not Returning for "Mummy 3"
View All

Critic Reviews for Adam's Rib

All Critics (28) | Top Critics (7) | Fresh (27) | Rotten (1)

  • Adam's Rib is one of the smartest comedies in years. It is a welcome return to the sophisticated spoofing that Hollywood seemed to have forgotten.

    July 25, 2019 | Full Review…

    Bob Thomas

    Associated Press

  • Katharine Hepburn conveys an extraordinary abundance of spirit.

    January 14, 2013 | Full Review…

    Penelope Gilliatt

    New Yorker

  • Adam's Rib is a bright comedy success, belting over a succession of sophisticated laughs.

    February 3, 2009 | Full Review…

    Variety Staff

    Variety

  • Irresistable comedy from one of Hollywood's greatest pairings.

    October 16, 2007 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

    Ian Nathan

    Empire Magazine

  • The film is a classic, and deservedly so: the conjunction of Tracy's sly listlessness and Hepburn's stridency defines 'chemistry' in the movies.

    October 16, 2007 | Full Review…
    Chicago Reader

  • The performances (not least from Wayne and Hagen) are matchless.

    February 9, 2006

    Tom Milne

    Time Out
View All Critic Reviews (28)

Audience Reviews for Adam's Rib

  • Jul 06, 2017
    Goofy but often quite hilarious. The screenplay takes Hepburn's feminism more seriously than you'd expect.
    Alec B Super Reviewer
  • Aug 19, 2013
    A husband and wife face off in an attempted murder trial that becomes a battle of the sexes. Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy deliver fine performances in this interesting but problematic film. The very simple facts of the case are that the accused is guilty. That's not a spoiler; that's the first scene. But Amanda's defense is that if a man is allowed to shoot his wife's lover, then a woman is allowed to shoot her husband's lover. This begs the question: is a man allowed to shoot his wife's lover? I didn't know that was an acceptable thing. Good to know. The fact that the film brings up common cultural double standards that persist is what makes the film interesting, and Tracy, I'm beginning to realize, made his career by taking roles that require his natural dignity. In the person of anyone else, Adam would seem weak and uninteresting, but Tracy's demeanor makes it difficult for any of his characters to be wholly emasculated. I'm also starting to like Judy Holliday; she plays ditzy roles that I would normally never be compelled by, but for some reason I find myself charmed. Overall, I liked the film, but it's not without its problems.
    Jim H Super Reviewer
  • Sep 05, 2010
    Hepburn wants to start women's liberation in 1949! She and her husband are lawyers on opposing sides of a case which involves a man and a woman, and they get into a battle of the sexes. It's funny at times, and too silly at other times. Overall, pretty good, but it could have been better.
    Aj V Super Reviewer
  • Aug 03, 2010
    A hilarious story about a husband and wife who are both lawyers defending opposing sides of a woman who shot her husband because he was cheating on her. There are many funny parts but I think it could even be better... but in the script only, because every other aspect is perfect.
    Dannielle A Super Reviewer
See all Audience reviews

Adam's Rib Quotes

View All Quotes

Movie & TV guides