The Philadelphia Story (1)

This week's theme, leading up to Valentine's Day, is The Philadelphia Story.

Why leading up to Valentine's Day? Because it is a movie that has a lot to do with love for me and one other person.

It is one of the great movies. And yet, it doesn't make sense. It really doesn't. And it doesn't make sense  on about twelve different levels.

Here is  starter question if you are familiar with the film. In it, there is a fictional scandal and gossip magazine called Spy Magazine. Rhymes with "lie" as Uncle Wilie says. Okay, here is the thing, George Kittredge, the ambitious fiancé of Tracy Samantha Lord is an admirer of the magazine and says he says he reads it to keep up. He then tells Tracy that someday he may run for politics, as if to imply that he may be interested in coverage from Spy when he does.

Think about that. Why would a politician want to be covered in a gossip magazine?

And we also learn that Spy has a Buenos Aires office. Why would a scandal sheet have a Buenos Aires office?

It doesn't make sense. The picture of the magazine doesn't match up with real life. And that is not all. Don't get me wriong, I love this movie, but it is a mass of contradictions.

Here is just one more. When she learns that Spy magazine will cover her wedding, Tracy complains of being undressed and humiliated in public. And yet the movie itself does exactly that. It is closely based on two real-life women who are, in fact, put on display for public entertainment.

Morally, the movie is a mess from start to finish and it has a few dramatic problems too. And yet it is a great movie. How does all this work? That is this week's theme.