Josie Andrews 412 Midterm Projects

Woman of the Year Love and Marriage

Scalar would not allow import of the first clip source, and the second clip source would not allow annotations. But, I wanted to discuss two scenes in the film "Woman of the Year" that focus on Hepburn's on-screen (and reflect her off-screen) star image of love and marriage.  In the first scene, Sam and Tess are riding in a car back to her apartment late at night. Tired, Tess has her head on Sam's chest.


Sam Craig: Something I've gotta get off my chest.
Tess Harding: I'm too heavy.
Sam Craig: No.
Tess Harding: Then what?
Sam Craig: I love you.
Tess Harding: You do?
Sam Craig: Positive.
Tess Harding: That is nice. Even when I'm sober?
Sam Craig: Even when you're brilliant.


This line, "even when you are brilliant" shows the inherent contradiction in the 1940s patriarchal society (and now) of men being confident enough in their masculinity to love and be attracted to a woman who is brighter, more professionally successful, and more driven than they are. Resolving this gender reversal contradiction requires renegotiating cultural values. In the 1940s, that value could not be renegotiated in a film with a happy ending unless the woman is returned to the rightful place in the kitchen and home. To see the actual clip, please go to: http://www.cornel1801.com/video/Woman-of-Year/lovevideo.html

In the second scene, Sam is trying to tell Tess that he wants to marry her. " Sam Craig: Tess, don't you understand what I mean? I wanna marry you. Tess Harding: Sure you want me? Sam Craig: Yeah. How about you? Tess Harding: Always swore I wouldn't. The frightening idea of getting tied down. Guess there's one thing I didn't figure on. Sam Craig: What? Tess Harding: You, Sam." By this statement, Hepburn reaffirms the patriarchal cultural norms for even the most professional and brilliant women of feminine happiness centered on heterosexual love and marriage. Here, I want to focus on the midpoint to the end of the Clip. S
 

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