Right around the time she was being called "box office poison", Katherine Hepburn gave one of her most heartfelt performances in "Holiday". Based on a play, as so many films of the time were, by Philip Barry, "Holiday" is a romantic comedy with a serious undertone that could be called ahead-of-its-time.
After a whirlwind romance, Johnny Case (Cary Grant, showing off everything that makes him one of our most unique and enduring actors) finds himself engaged to Julia Seton (Doris Nolan), one of two daughters of the ridiculously wealthy New York Setons. No sooner does Julia bring Johnny home to meet the family than he starts getting cold feet. Johnny, it seems, is not looking for a predetermined future working in Julia's father's office. Instead, Johnny hopes to travel, see the world and, as the saying goes, "find himself." Johnny's cold feet are made all the more frigid when he meets Julia's sister Linda (Hepburn), a kindred spirit if ever there was one.
"Holiday" doesn't fall into the black-and-white stereotypes of the classes. It's much more interested in allowing its characters to explore their relationships and conflicts. Director George Cukor, who the next year would give us the equally wonderful "Philadelphia Story" (with the powerhouse trio of Hepburn, Grant and Jimmy Stewart) has a light touch keeping the pace quick while allowing his actors to do what they do best. And with Hepburn and Grant on screen, that's saying a lot.
