Overview
A courtroom battle turns personal as two lawyers face off in a hilarious clash of wills.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- sardonic
- sincere
- classic movie night
- date night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard it as a classic, sophisticated battle-of-the-sexes comedy elevated by George Cukor’s direction, the witty screenplay, and the peerless chemistry of Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Adam and Amanda Bonner prosecute and defend opposing positions while their courtroom disagreement spills into their marriage.
Amanda is an accomplished lawyer who challenges both the legal system and Adam’s assumptions about gender equality.
Courtroom arguments, household quarrels, and flirtatious marital negotiations repeatedly mirror one another.
The trial and the Bonners’ arguments directly dramatize unequal expectations for husbands and wives.
Films like Adam's Rib, and why
The Philadelphia Story
sophisticated romantic comedy, battle-of-the-sexes premise, and sparkling verbal conflict
His Girl Friday
classic screwball romance built around professional rivalry, rapid dialogue, and marital complications
Woman of the Year
witty workplace romance featuring capable women, gender politics, and comic relationship friction
It Happened One Night
classic romantic comedy pairing domestic conflict with sharp social observation and charismatic leads
Movie Details
- Director
- George Cukor
- Release Date
- 1949-11-17
- Runtime
- 101 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (348)
Cast
- Spencer Tracy
- Katharine Hepburn
- Judy Holliday
- Tom Ewell
- David Wayne
- Jean Hagen
- Hope Emerson
- Eve March
- Clarence Kolb
- Emerson Treacy
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Adam's Rib about?
- A married prosecutor and defense attorney turn a sensational attempted-murder case into a sparkling test of love, law, and gender equality.
- What is Adam's Rib like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Adam's Rib as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Adam's Rib violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Adam's Rib as mild.
- What did critics think of Adam's Rib?
- Critics broadly regard it as a classic, sophisticated battle-of-the-sexes comedy elevated by George Cukor’s direction, the witty screenplay, and the peerless chemistry of Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn.
- Which films are like Adam's Rib?
- Films with a similar feel include The Philadelphia Story, His Girl Friday, Woman of the Year, and It Happened One Night.
- How long is Adam's Rib?
- Adam's Rib runs 101 minutes.
- Where can I watch Adam's Rib?
- In United States, Adam's Rib is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
