Overview
A comedic battle of wits unfolds as two ex-spouses try to sabotage each other's new romances.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- mischievous
- breezy
- classic movie night
- date night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a highly entertaining and influential screwball comedy, elevated by its sharp timing and charismatic central performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jerry and Lucy are legally separated but repeatedly interfere with each other's prospective remarriages, making reconciliation the central comic engine.
Lucy impersonates the brassy Dixie Belle Lee while posing as Jerry's sister, turning class manners and disguise into comic weapons.
Suspected infidelity and mutual efforts to sabotage new engagements keep Jerry and Lucy emotionally entangled.
Jerry's court-decreed visitation rights with the fox terrier Mr. Smith become an active part of the couple's marital conflict.
Films like The Awful Truth, and why
His Girl Friday
Shared screwball comedy, romantic sparring, divorce-era misunderstandings, and rapid-fire social performance.
The Philadelphia Story
Shared comedy of remarriage structure, glamorous social settings, witty antagonism, and rekindled romance.
Bringing Up Baby
Shared screwball energy, romantic deception, class-based comic complications, and escalating misunderstandings.
Movie Details
- Director
- Leo McCarey
- Release Date
- 1937-10-21
- Runtime
- 91 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (371)
Cast
- Irene Dunne
- Cary Grant
- Ralph Bellamy
- Alexander D'Arcy
- Cecil Cunningham
- Molly Lamont
- Esther Dale
- Joyce Compton
- Robert Allen
- Robert Warwick
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- 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 The Awful Truth about?
- A separated couple wages an elegant, mischievous campaign against each other’s remarriage plans while discovering that divorce has not ended their bond.
- What is The Awful Truth like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Awful Truth as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Awful Truth violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Awful Truth.
- What did critics think of The Awful Truth?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a highly entertaining and influential screwball comedy, elevated by its sharp timing and charismatic central performances.
- Which films are like The Awful Truth?
- Films with a similar feel include His Girl Friday, The Philadelphia Story, and Bringing Up Baby.
- How long is The Awful Truth?
- The Awful Truth runs 91 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Awful Truth?
- In United States, The Awful Truth is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand.
