Sexism In Adam's Rib

Set in the 1940’s, Adam’s Rib is focused on the courtroom battle of two married attorneys. After Doris Attinger shoots her philandering husband, Adam Bonner (Spencer Tracy) is assigned to prosecute the case. The case seems fairly straightforward at first. However, when Amanda Bonner (Katharine Hepburn) gets wind of the it, she steps into the role of Attinger’s defense attorney, complicating Adam’s seemingly easy win. As the case progresses to trial tensions mount both inside and outside the courtroom as women’s rights become the primary focus of the trial.
Adam’s Rib is just as entertaining as it was in the 1940’s. While some may say it is merely an old-school romantic comedy, it imparts a more serious message as well. In the movie, comedy is used to convey …show more content…
Amanda Bonner’s claim that the justice system is unfair to women in this case, is warranted. However her logic is fallible. In a courtroom, you argue the law. No one should be exempt from paying for their actions. This was the argument of Tracy in the film, and it isn’t given enough credit. Mrs. Bonner was proposing the idea the idea that the jury should let Attinger off due to the inherent sexism which will naturally influence the jury’s final verdict. The age-old ‘two wrongs don’t make a right’ is especially applicable in this movie. No it isn’t right that Mrs. Attinger should walk free because some men do in the same scenario, and it especially isn’t right when she is being charged with attempted murder. The arguments in the movie are dated, and wouldn’t fly today, but the message is still intact. This movie isn’t as much about accuracy as it is attempting to convey important ideas about women’s rights, and in this it succeeds. The courtroom inaccuracies don’t have a strong effect on the comedic value or implications of this film and overall, it is still extremely