Woman of the Year (1942)

Introduction

Woman of the Year (1942) is a seminal film in Hollywood history—not only because it marked the beginning of one of cinema's most iconic on-screen pairings (Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy), but also because it straddled the line between romantic comedy and serious social commentary. Directed by George Stevens and written by Michael Kanin and Ring Lardner Jr. (both of whom won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay), the film explores gender roles, ambition, marriage, and identity at a time when America was on the brink of a social transformation—both due to the war and the shifting status of women.

As both a sharp romantic comedy and a socio-political drama, Woman of the Year presents a complex, often contradictory look at feminism, partnership, and the cost of success, particularly for women in male-dominated spheres.

Plot Summary

The story centres on Tess Harding (Katharine Hepburn), an internationally renowned political journalist, and Sam Craig (Spencer Tracy), a down-to-earth sports columnist. The two work for the same newspaper and are introduced through a public disagreement: Tess dismisses baseball as trivial in one of her columns, prompting a fiery retort from Sam. Their sparring in print turns into sparks in person.

Despite their contrasting worldviews—Tess is cosmopolitan, worldly, and hyper-articulate, while Sam is grounded, everyman, and proudly American—the two fall in love and marry. But the differences that once attracted them begin to erode the foundation of their marriage.

Tess is frequently unavailable, distracted by public appearances, foreign policy debates, and refugee adoptions. Her high-powered career overshadows Sam’s simpler ambitions. When Tess is awarded “Woman of the Year,” it becomes clear that her public persona is outpacing her private responsibilities. The climax arrives when Tess attempts to adopt a Greek orphan without Sam’s input, treating their marriage as an accessory to her career rather than a partnership. The film concludes with a controversial, much-debated reconciliation that seems to signal a return to traditional roles—at least on the surface.

Themes and Social Commentary

Gender Roles and Domesticity

At its heart, Woman of the Year grapples with the evolving role of women in American society. Tess Harding represents a new breed of woman—educated, independent, professional—during an era when most women were expected to be homemakers. The film doesn’t simply vilify or celebrate this independence; instead, it interrogates how ambition affects intimacy and how gender expectations shape marriage.

However, the film’s conclusion has been the subject of debate and criticism. The final scene, where Tess struggles comically to cook breakfast for Sam in an attempt to be “a real wife,” has been read by some as a capitulation to 1940s domestic ideals. Others argue it’s more nuanced—an ironic scene underscoring the absurdity of expecting a world-class journalist to find fulfilment flipping pancakes.

Love vs. Ambition

The tension between personal ambition and romantic partnership is a key theme. Tess's success is not portrayed as inherently negative, but the imbalance in her relationship with Sam becomes untenable. The film suggests that compromise, not dominance, is key to a successful relationship, even if its delivery occasionally feels skewed by the gender norms of the time.

Intellectualism vs. Simplicity

Tess lives in the rarefied air of global politics, champagne parties, and United Nations meetings. Sam, by contrast, is a beer-and-baseball man. The film humorously, but pointedly, critiques elitism while defending ordinary American life. In this way, Woman of the Year is as much a cultural clash as it is a romantic one.

Performances

Katharine Hepburn as Tess Harding

Hepburn is nothing short of dazzling in this role. She embodies intelligence, elegance, and assertiveness without sacrificing warmth. Tess is a challenging character—often self-centred and blind to the emotional needs of those around her—but Hepburn makes her sympathetic and charismatic. Her performance is both a feminist statement and a human one. This role helped define the “Hepburn woman”—sharp, self-reliant, and unapologetic.

Spencer Tracy as Sam Craig

Tracy brings grounded charm and subtlety to the role of Sam. He’s not merely the “male counterpart” to Hepburn; he’s essential to making the film’s emotional stakes believable. His reactions feel authentic, never overplayed. Tracy underplays brilliantly, balancing Sam’s frustrations with genuine affection for Tess. His chemistry with Hepburn—natural, unscripted, electric—became legendary.

Their Chemistry

This was the first of nine films Hepburn and Tracy would make together, and their chemistry here is effortless. The romantic tension is layered with mutual respect, real-world friction, and wit. It’s a joy to watch, and it elevates the film far beyond a typical romantic comedy.

Direction and Writing

Director George Stevens, best known for his later dramatic works (A Place in the Sun, Giant), balances comedy and drama with a steady hand. He keeps the tone grounded, avoiding screwball excess, and lets the performances carry the emotional weight.

The script is smart, literate, and filled with well-constructed dialogue. Tess and Sam feel like real people, not caricatures. While the screenplay ultimately defaults to a traditional resolution, its portrayal of a woman navigating professional and emotional fulfilment was groundbreaking for its time.

Criticisms and Controversy

The Ending: Many modern viewers and critics take issue with the final scene, in which Tess fumbles in the kitchen to appease Sam. While it plays as a comedic moment of reconciliation, it can also be read as a retreat from the film’s earlier progressive stance. According to some accounts, this ending was added due to studio pressure and public reception concerns, and Hepburn herself later regretted the tone of the conclusion.

Tess’s Portrayal: Despite being an independent and capable woman, Tess is eventually framed as out of touch, emotionally cold, and even slightly ridiculous in her inability to conform to domestic life. This double standard—wherein men can be wholly absorbed in work without consequence but women must also be homemakers—reflects the era’s limits.

Balancing Tone: The film sometimes struggles to balance sharp social commentary with romantic whimsy. The pivot from debate to romance to domestic comedy can feel abrupt.

Legacy and Cultural Impact

Woman of the Year won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay and was a critical and commercial success. More importantly, it marked the beginning of one of the most beloved screen partnerships in Hollywood history. The Hepburn-Tracy dynamic would become shorthand for intelligent romantic sparring, influencing decades of rom-coms to follow.

It also opened a serious cultural conversation about marriage, women’s work, and equality—years before second-wave feminism would fully emerge. Though imperfect, Woman of the Year helped mainstream the idea of a woman who could be more than a wife or love interest.

In 1973, the story was adapted into a stage musical, and the film itself has been cited as an influence on later films like Broadcast News (1987), The Devil Wears Prada (2006), and Morning Glory (2010), all of which explore women navigating ambition, romance, and compromise.

Conclusion

Woman of the Year remains a compelling, witty, and emotionally intelligent film. It offers no easy answers to the questions it raises about gender, power, and love—but it was among the first Hollywood films to raise them with sophistication and humour. While the ending may disappoint modern sensibilities, the journey remains worthwhile, buoyed by two luminous performances and a script that still feels sharply observant.

For fans of classic cinema, romantic drama, or feminist film history, Woman of the Year is not just a must-see—it’s a film that continues to spark conversation and reflection more than 80 years after its release.