In 1937, Leo McCarey gave the audience two awful truths: Make Way for Tomorrow and The Awful Truth. One, about the harsh nature of aging, family, and love, was little-seen and became a forgotten gem. The other, which dealt with the realization that relationships must be based on mutual continuous acceptance of each other's flaws and absurdities, won McCarey an Oscar and became one of the quintessential early comedies. Deciding which of these films is better is an impossible task, so let's instead celebrate McCarey's superb grasp of the material, the brilliant dialogue, and the incredible chemistry of Irene Dunne and Cary Grant.
After unexplained excursions that suggest infidelity, wife and husband Lucy Warriner (Irene Dunne) and Jerry Warriner (Cary Grant) assume the worst of each other and file for divorce. Of course, this being one of those Cary Grant marriage pictures (see: The Philadelphia Story, His Girl Friday), breaking the union proves to be rather difficult as Jerry and Lucy still very much love one another. While each are scandalized by the supposed infidelity, they cannot let go of each other and hijinks ensue as they ruin each other's chances with prospective suitors. Grant and Dunne make one of the screen's best comedic couples as there's a sweetness to their reminiscences, a silliness to their schemes, a seriousness to the moments when they discuss why they cannot be together, a wonderful sense of befuddlement in their reactions, and a genuine feeling of love. Perhaps Dunne is most deserving of the credit here as her character's plan to block her husband's remarriage is the zaniest (it involves adopting a showgirl persona and performing risque shtick) and the moments where she must bare her heart are the most moving in the film. No other actress has matched Grant so perfectly (Katharine Hepburn and Rosalind Russell's more two-dimensional characters cannot compare with Dunne's vibrant, feeling, and intelligent Lucy).
Jerry: In a half an hour, we'll no longer be Mister and Missus. Funny, isn't it?
Lucy: Yes, it's funny that everything's the way it is on account of the way you feel.
Jerry: Huh?
Lucy: Well, I mean, if you didn't feel that way you do, things wouldn't be the way they are, would they? I mean, things could be the same if things were different.
Jerry: But things are the way you made them.
Lucy: Oh, no. No, things are the way you think I made them. I didn't make them that way at all. Things are just the same as they always were, only, you're the same as you were, too, so I guess things will never be the same again.
Asta, the dog from the Thin Man series, turns in another fine performance as Mr. Smith.
Crew & Cast
Directed by Leo McCarey (Make Way for Tomorrow, Duck Soup, Going My Way, An Affair to Remember)
Written by Viña Delmar (Make Way for Tomorrow, Bad Girl, Hands Across the Table) with uncredited rewrites from Sidney Buchanan (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Cleopatra, Holiday), based on a play by Arthur Richman
Cast
Irene Dunne - Lucy Warriner
Cary Grant - Jerry Warriner
Ralph Bellamy - Daniel Leeson
Alexander D'Arcy - Armand Duvalle
Cecil Cunningham - Aunt Patsy
Asta - Mr. Smith