Woman of the Year

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Woman of the Year

1942

1h 52m

Comedy

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Popcornmeter

83%

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30 Reviews

80%

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5,000+ Ratings

Tess Harding (Katharine Hepburn) is a progressively-minded political journalist. Sam Craig (Spencer Tracy) is a sports writer with very traditional values. The only thing the two have in common is that they both work for the same New York City newspaper. Despite an initial and mutual dislike, the two eventually fall in love and get married. When Tess wins the Woman of the Year award, traditional gender roles become flipped and their relationship suffers as a result.

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Critics Consensus

In the first romantic comedy pairing of Tracy and Hepburn, the stars' chemistry is off to a working start and the film's sparkling comedy smooths out any rough patches.

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Otis Ferguson

The New Republic

02/18/2022

It has an engaging quality deriving from its personalities, but where direction and writing are concerned, it is static and often ham, it is at least twenty minutes too long for the motion it carries.

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Penelope Gilliatt

The New Yorker

01/14/2013

The film earlier has one of the very best Tracy-Hepburn love scenes, full of the sense of private shelter that they uniquely purvey.

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Variety Staff

Variety

03/26/2009

Woman of the Year is an entertaining film with superb work by Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy.

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Zita Short

InSession Film

02/09/2023

I don’t think this is a successful romantic comedy. I am almost offended...

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

04/10/2022

3.5/4

The dialogue in the Oscar-winning screenplay is priceless -- surveying the enormous crowd at a baseball game, Tess asks, Are all these people unemployed?

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Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

09/12/2020

4/5

Although arguably not on par with some of the later Hepburn/Tracy pairings, Woman of the Year is still a precious lark ahead of its time, and reveals the co-stars in the early days of their formidable on-screen chemistry.

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Clara S

@RT79538583 Jul 6

Totally outdated. Would have rather it been a movie about her excellent career instead of focusing on her mopey, insecure husband.

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Charles B

@RT57688612 02/02/2025

fell asleep humor changes over time. the plot is no predictable and the character seem to be cardboard. doubtless it was funny at the time

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Jeff S

@jeffstone 02/14/2024

A great balance of wit, romance, and morality. This classic movie reminds us about perspective and maintaining a balance in life. Many similar movies become melodramatic or melancholy, but this one takes a clever tact to better effect.

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Alec B

@Alec97 01/03/2024

The movie kind of falls apart when it shifts gears from taking Hepburn's wit and independence seriously to lecturing her. I know much of that is just simply the time period but it does make the final act seem out of place.

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steve d

@RT35616104 07/22/2020

Cute film with likable leads.

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03/15/2019

This is a waste of Katharine Hepburn's talents. Why would an educated woman want to marry someone whose only knowledge or interest is in sports right in the middle of world war II? She starts out well, her independence and education is seen, but she ends up in the kitchen, quits her job, and gets out the cookbook. The movie ends as she gives up her independence and her spirit. Hurrah! Three cheers for the future! A better title for this film would be "Tamed" or "Under His Thumb at Last".

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George Stevens

Director

Katharine Hepburn

Tess Harding

Spencer Tracy

Sam Craig

Fay Bainter

Ellen Whitcomb

Reginald Owen

Clayton

Minor Watson

William J. Harding

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Synopsis

Tess Harding (Katharine Hepburn) is a progressively-minded political journalist. Sam Craig (Spencer Tracy) is a sports writer with very traditional values. The only thing the two have in common is that they both work for the same New York City newspaper. Despite an initial and mutual dislike, the two eventually fall in love and get married. When Tess wins the Woman of the Year award, traditional gender roles become flipped and their relationship suffers as a result.

Director: George Stevens
Producer: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Screenwriter: Ring Lardner Jr., Michael Kanin
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 14, 1942, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 1, 2009
Runtime: 1h 52m