Although billed as a comedy, George Stevens' 1935 adaptation of Booth Tarkington's novel--about a social climber (Katherine Hepburn) whose sole Darwinian purpose appears to be weaseling into high society and landing a moneyed beau--is actually more of a painfully uncomfortable portrait in social realism. Say hello to the Adams family: Alice's (Hepburn) ailing father is mercilessly henpecked and berated by his wife; her brother is an inveterate gambler; and she, herself, will stand at a ball for hours on end waiting to be approached and asked for a dance. Except for a classic bit centering around a putting-on-airs dinner that backfires when the financially strapped family hosts wealthy bachelor Fred MacMurray, the laughs here are bittersweet, at best, and the occasional racist remarks in this "period" piece are downright irritating (such as Alice's reference to her brother's "amusing darkie stories"). Still, one can't deny that Hepburn is radiant in this early role; the naked play of emotions across her face as she smiles through tears while being treated like a pariah (when she's noticed at all) will strike a resonant chord with anyone who's ever found him or herself on the social periphery. Making its DVD debut, Alice Adams is a bit of a wallflower, technically speaking, with a fair amount of wear still showing in this "restored" picture, so-so contrasts, and several soft images (not just the purposeful ones for Hepburn's close-ups). The disc's only extras are a six-minute excerpt from the documentary George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey (VL-4/86) and the brief text essay Katherine Hepburn: The RKO Years. Optional. (R. Pitman)
Alice Adams
Warner, 99 min., not rated, DVD: $19.98 March 24, 2003
Alice Adams
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