HOLIDAY

REVIEWED BY ELIZABETH CHANCELLOR

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Because of: thematic elements

Rated:

In this world, men and women go to school in their youths, work for a good portion of their lives, and then retire at a ripe old age. That is the way of American life; the way things are done. But it is not for Johnny Case (Cary Grant). Circumstances have forced him to work since he was ten. Now that he is thirty, he wants to take some time off, and enjoy life while he can. Then, if he wants to or needs to, he can go back to work. That is pretty radical thinking in a world just coming out of the Great Depression, but what other people think of him makes little difference to Johnny. As soon as one more business deal goes through, he is taking off on a holiday with the girl of his dreams.

Though they are engaged, Johnny knows little about Julia Seaton (Doris Nolan), and she, little about him. They had met just ten days before while visiting Lake Placid, and quickly fell in love. With a pledge of devotion, and a promise from Johnny to visit her family, the lovebirds returned to their separate homes in New York. After days of thinking that she is just a simple girl of the people, Johnny is quite surprised to find that Julia lives in a four-story mansion. She is part of the upper crust of society. Father is a businessman, and a successful one at that. Brother Ned (Lew Ayres) is a poor soul, driven to alcoholism. Then there is sister Linda (Katharine Hepburn). She is a bright-eyed, fast-talking, free-spirited girl who takes an instant liking to Johnny. When the two have a few minutes alone, Johnny tells Linda of his plans for the future. To her, it all sounds marvelous, and she is sure that Julia will think the same. Little do Linda and Johnny suspect that his marvelous plan may mean the end of his engagement. They have yet to realize that Linda is not the sweet girl they think she is. Underneath her beautiful exterior lies a heart thirsting for riches and power.

A week of happiness and anticipation passes before Julia learns of Johnny’s plans for their future. On the night of their engagement party, the situation explodes. She sees his ideas and childish; his plans as antagonistic. She refuses to marry him until he agrees to a compromise: a one-year trial at her father’s bank. After that time, he may decide whether to continue with business, or his own plans. Otherwise, she will leave him. All the while, Linda stands with Johnny. To her, he is a “breath of fresh air” in the stuffy surroundings of society. She sees that his head is on straight, and because of that, she believes in him implicitly. Anything he does is all right with her. Slowly, Linda begins to realize that her faith in Johnny is more than just that. She loves him, but while his heart belongs to Julia, she will not stand in his way.

Filled with witty dialogue and sweet romance, Holiday is a gem. Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn are charming co-stars, wrapped up in a plot that applauds loyalty, honesty, hope and compassion, and warns against the “reverence for riches.” Love of money is the downfall of Julia Seaton and her father. Their greed blinds them from the simple pleasures of life and ruins their chances of happiness. Little do they see that their rapaciousness is also harming others. His childhood dreams of becoming a musician and composer were crushed by his oppressive father, causing him to turn to liquor as an escape. He sees his alcoholism as protection against his father’s demands. In one scene, he tells Linda of the “grand game” of drunkenness. Her hopes had been dashed, and like Ned, she began to look for an escape. Thankfully, his morbid speech repulses her, leaving her with no choice but to push through her sorrows alone. This proves to be the saving grace of Linda, for as she works through her heartache, she finds joy that would have been left undiscovered had she merely suppressed her troubles.

Holiday is also proof that one needn’t have money to be happy. The supporting characters of Nick and Susan Potter (Edward Everett Horton and Jean Dixon) aren’t exactly rich, but they are happy. They find pleasure in the simple things: good friends, good jokes, and never sink to level of stuffiness often found in high society. They are lovely, charming people, the salt of the earth. Rarely will you find such wonderful characters as Johnny, Linda, Nick and Susan, and such a marvelous film, so pack your bags and enjoy a Holiday.