In his column “How About Now,” Mason Barrett ’28 reviews classic films through a modern lens.
This review contains spoilers.
Valentine’s Day is rapidly approaching. Have you made a reservation yet? Have you bought the flowers? The Lionel Richie CD? Oh, you haven’t. Well, my friend, I regret to inform you that you’re done for. Nothing can save you but a good rom-com to end the night. But it can’t be any rom-com. It has to be the cream of the crop — one of the greatest ever made. Let me save your Feb. 14 and tell you about “Bringing Up Baby” (1938).
That’s right — 1938. Believe it or not, there are rom-coms without Hugh Grant. Directed by Howard Hawks, this film follows paleontologist David Huxley (Cary Grant) on an unlikely and reluctant adventure. On the eve before his wedding, the paleontologist tries to secure a million-dollar donation for the museum, but his attempt is unintentionally foiled by the lovely, yet careless, Susan Vance (Katherine Hepburn). After another chance encounter, Vance becomes convinced that Huxley is in love with her, and falls in love with him in turn. The next morning, she lures him away before his wedding by tricking him into an interstate adventure with a leopard named Baby.
The film is somehow reminiscent of every rom-com that has come since, yet it is still a wonder unto itself. There are classic rom-com tropes: enemies to lovers, meet-cutes and a massive, corny declaration of love. However, there are two reasons that this film transcends the rom-coms that you’re used to. The first is the characters. Huxley is not the handsome everyman and Vance is not a beautiful, career obsessed woman with no time for love. Vance is brash and manipulative while Huxley is timid and easily manipulated. Their personalities fit together like two halves of a wheel that drives the plot to more inane places.
The chemistry between Grant and Hepburn is undeniable. Both show great comedic ability in this film, but Hepburn is something special. Her charm is undeniable and she expertly plays ditzy, deluded and devoted. These characters are a caliber of their own and rom-coms today should strive to once again have characters this fun to watch.
The other reason that this film is such a special rom-com is the buddy comedy nature of it. This is not to say that there are no buddy comedy rom-coms, but this one is something else. In this film, the characters are stuck together on a misadventure. Instead of both being reluctant and eventually coming together, Vance chooses to act as a catalyst for the events of the film by manipulating her reluctant counterpart. Having a character act in such a way is dangerous for a movie; poorly written and poorly acted, this is a character that would quickly have the audience turn against them. The genius of the writing and the acting of Hepburn is that viewers can’t help but cheer for her. This dynamic makes for a plotline that stands above other rom-coms.
Other reasons to love this film are the witty play and physical comedy. The successful use of a leopard also deserves acknowledgement. The inclusion of a leopard was certainly a lot more work than if the writer had replaced Baby with a dog or a cat. However, the potentially dangerous animal heightens the stakes of the film, and has humorous consequences.
The film is mostly perfect, but there’s a big difference between mostly perfect and all perfect. The film is only good for as long as you have patience for its whimsy and silliness. In the latter half, the film begins to lull and it feels as though the plot has slowed to a crawl. It picks up again in pace by the end, but there’s certainly parts that could be cut or trimmed without my objection. Certain comedic scenes — such as Huxley’s absent mindedness during an awkward dinner — were repetitive. Another series of scenes set in the woods are at times dull and could have been done more efficiently. While there was some plot development in these scenes, it was sparse among the often repetitive comedy, resulting in a bit of whimsy burnout on my part.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the character Aloysius Gogarty, who is portrayed as an offensive Irish stereotype. He stumbles through the film as a drunk coward, deathly afraid of Baby. As an Irish-American in 2025, I find Gogarty’s character offensive, but he’s not as painful to watch as he certainly would have been for an Irish-American in 1938. This is because I haven’t faced prejudice as an Irish-American, and therefore I feel separation from this stereotype. However, Irish-Americans in 1938 likely had a much different reaction than I did, given the anti-Irish xenophobia that was pervasive at the time.
Overall, “Bringing Up Baby” is one of my favorite films. It’s the film that put me on to the work of Katherine Hepburn and it’s still one of the best rom-coms of all time. If you’re looking for a good movie for Valentine’s Day, and you don’t mind going back in time a bit, I highly recommend this gem.
Editor’s Note: This article is a review and includes subjective thoughts, opinions and critiques.
