100 All-Time Films (To see the entire list, click here)
William Wyler’s Roman Holiday (1953)
Most of the movies I include on this list are one of the best at something. It could be screenwriting or acting or cinematography. Roman Holiday doesn’t seem to fit any of the standard categories. It made the list because it is a personal favorite of mine and it is one of the most enjoyable classical Hollywood studio films I have seen.
There isn’t one person I know of who has seen it and not liked it. How can you not like Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn (in her first major role)? The story sounds like any typical romantic comedy, and in a way it is, but there is something unique about it. Maybe it is the location shooting in Rome that adds the affect and also the great performances from Peck and Hepburn. They play such well-liked characters that you have to root for them. You understand why everyone falls in love with Audrey Hepburn.
I think the unpredictable ending is what sets it apart though. It absolutely breaks my heart in the best way possible. It is both sad and happy. It is difficult to describe here without ruining the ending.
I guess I had a difficult time making a case for the film in this explanation because it doesn’t do any one thing impeccably. What it does do, is tell a fantastic story between two friends/lovers in a way only classic Hollywood can. Watch it and it’ll take your heart.
