January 8 movie: Woman of the Year. Okay, now I remember why I don't like Tracy/Hepburn movies. Hepburn is a driven, highly successful career woman, a political reporter who would have world leaders on her speed dial if speed dial existed back then. But the celebration of her success only lasts for the first act. The rest of the movie is spent humiliating Hepburn, exposing her as a failed wife, mother and woman.
I was hoping this movie would be about Hepburn and Tracy learning to accomodate each other to make their relationship work. But no, that would be a very different movie. (It would be Designing Woman.) This is about stand-up guy Tracy putting up with selfish shrew Hepburn until he can't take it anymore, tossing her over, and then grudgingly allowing her to beg his forgiveness for having a life of her own. He's like a fricking Promise Keeper.
The message of this movie is summed up when Hepburn's mentor, another successful woman, gives up her career to get married. The mentor explains it by saying, "I got tired of winning prizes. Now I want to be the prize." Ugh. Just, ugh.
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