Today’s quick review: Penny Serenade. On the verge of leaving her husband Roger (Cary Grant), Julie Adams (Irene Dunne) reminisces about the years they spent together and how their marriage fell apart. Her trip down memory lane takes her to the first time they met, the time they spent overseas, and their attempts to start a family. But along with the good memories come the painful ones, the tragic events that drove them apart.
Penny Serenade is a romantic drama about the travails of a couple who were once deeply in love. Irene Dunne and Cary Grant star as Julie and Roger, a married couple trying to pick up the pieces of the dreams they used to share. Penny Serenade is a far-reaching drama that charts the course of an entire relationship. Strong character work, a tragic story, and the realization of some very real fears make the movie a classic that stands the test of time.
Penny Serenade is a gut-wrenching watch. The highs of Julie and Roger’s relationship are typical for a romance from the era, but the lows are much more devastating than usual. The story does require a bit of investment from the viewer, and Julie and Roger aren’t exceptional characters, at least to start out with. But over the course of the film, they earn the audience’s sympathy the hard way, turning the ups and downs of their lives into a coherent story.
The subtle touch that makes the story work is the way the characters grow and adapt to the challenges they face. Roger begins the story as a brash young newspaperman, eager to make his mark and quick to take chances, until marriage teaches him the meaning of responsibility. Julie must reconcile Roger’s career ambitions with her own dreams of motherhood. The characters’ struggles give them unusual depth and give the movie a powerful payoff.
There are a few places where Penny Serenade doesn’t achieve the desired effect. The cruel and abrupt nature of its twists will take some viewers out of the story; they are blunt, obvious sources of drama that only attain subtlety as they play out over time. The occasional moments of domestic comedy also interact strangely with the drama, while the long time frame of the story leads to some odd pacing, though nothing unusual for a more biographical film.
But taking its particular mode of storytelling in stride, Penny Serenade is an effective drama that handles delicate topics with skill. Those who don’t mind the style and pacing of the classics will find it to be well worth a shot. Those hoping for a more idyllic romance or a drama with subtler twists may want to steer clear. For a similarly retrospective drama, try Citizen Kane. For a lighter romance starring Cary Grant, try The Philadelphia Story.
7.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 for a powerful story for the right viewer.