Woman of the Year

Play trailer

Woman of the Year

1942

1h 52m

Comedy

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

83%

Tomatometer

30 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.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

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.

Read Critics Reviews

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

Zita Short

InSession Film

02/09/2023

I don’t think this is a successful romantic comedy. I am almost offended...

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

Read all reviews

Clara S

@RT79538583 Jul 6

Totally outdated.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

Mark A

@RT53507781 12/16/2022

Tracy and Hepburn doing what they do best.

See more

steve d

@RT35616104 07/22/2020

Cute film with likable leads.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

George Stevens

Director

Katharine Hepburn

Tess Harding

Spencer Tracy

Sam Craig

Fay Bainter

Ellen Whitcomb

Reginald Owen

Clayton

Minor Watson

William J. Harding

Without Love

83%

66%

Without Love

Watchlist

The Big Store

70%

51%

The Big Store

Watchlist

I Love You Again

100%

82%

I Love You Again

Watchlist

Julia Misbehaves

60%

79%

Julia Misbehaves

Watchlist

Father of the Bride

90%

74%

Father of the Bride

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

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

Most Popular at Home Now