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Woman of the Year

Play trailer Poster for Woman of the Year 1942 1h 52m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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86% Tomatometer 29 Reviews 80% Popcornmeter 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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Woman of the Year

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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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Critics Reviews

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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. Go to Full Review 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. Go to Full Review Variety Staff Variety 03/26/2009
Woman of the Year is an entertaining film with superb work by Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. Go to Full Review 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? Go to Full Review 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. Go to Full Review Mike Massie Gone With The Twins 08/15/2020
4/10
For a film that starts with such a substantial, self-sufficient female character, it's distressing to see her have to crawl back and change her ways to please a man. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Clara S @RT79538583 07/06/2025 Totally outdated. Would have rather it been a movie about her excellent career instead of focusing on her mopey, insecure husband. See more 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 See more 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. See more 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. See more steve d @RT35616104 07/22/2020 Cute film with likable leads. See more 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". See more Read all reviews
Woman of the Year

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Cast & Crew

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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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Woman of the Year

Woman of the Year (1942) Woman of the Year (1942) View more photos

Movie Info

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