Roman Holiday
1953, Romance/Comedy, 1h 59m
61 Reviews 50,000+ RatingsWhat to know
critics consensus
With Audrey Hepburn luminous in her American debut, Roman Holiday is as funny as it is beautiful, and sets the standard for the modern romantic comedy. Read critic reviews
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Cast & Crew
Joe Bradley
Princess Ann
Irving Radovich
Gen. Provno
Mr. Hennessy
Secretary
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Critic Reviews for Roman Holiday
Audience Reviews for Roman Holiday
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Nov 25, 2019A nice visit to Rome, Italy, where ex-pat Americano Gregory Peck works for a newspaper when he runs across a poor lost waif, Audrey Hepburn, a princess "slumming" amongst the common folk. He sees an exclusive story opportunity, while she's simply escaping her official duties for a minute. On the way...love blossoms, eh? It's a nice romcom dedicated to the proposition that love can happen in a day if we allow ourselves to get outside of ourselves, and thus it's popularity. Well, that and the chemistry between the leads. Seeing the old grand dame of a city doesn't hurt either.
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Mar 11, 2017Audrey Hepburn burst onto the movie scene with this film, her first role. She plays an English Princess traveling in Rome who is bored with her official duties and the tight schedule she's on. One night after getting a tranquilizer to calm her from the stress of it all, she sneaks away into the streets of Rome. She's found by a newspaperman played by Gregory Peck, who takes her to his place to sleep it off. When he finds out who she really is, he realizes he's on top of a gold mine of a story, and enlists his photographer friend (Eddie Albert) to get candid shots of the two while they sightsee. Hepburn and Peck are such an attractive couple, and director William Wyler gets lots of beautiful shots of Rome, including the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Castel Sant'Angelo, and of course the classic scene they have at the Bocca della Verità. It all makes for a very romantic film. Hepburn played her part perfectly, expressing frustration and joy with such economy, as well as the restraint that comes from being a royal. Among several others, the scene with her getting her hair cut short is captivating, and it's no wonder that she won an Oscar for her performance. Peck's performance is also excellent, and Eddie Albert pulls off the part of a young rogue quite well despite being 47 at the time. I won't spoil the ending, except to say it's touching and poignant, and so perfectly shot in the Palazzo Colonna. At the end of the day this is 'just a romantic comedy', with its share of silliness, but it's so mature and magical, and with these stars in this setting, it stands head and shoulders above so many others.
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Aug 28, 2016Undeniably charming, although I'd argue Peck is miscast (he's just not scrappy enough for this role) but that hardly matters. That bittersweet ending is just wonderful.Alec B Super Reviewer
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Mar 06, 2016"Roman Holiday" is remarkable just because Audrey Hepburn isn't gratingly over-the-top as she is in most movies. "Roman Holiday" is well-scripted and well-acted with gorgeous visuals shot on location in Italy. It's a charming film with wit fresh enough for a modern audience.Christian C Super Reviewer
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