Roman Holiday (1953)

With Audrey Hepburn luminous in her American debut, 1953's ROMAN HOLIDAY is as funny as it is beautiful, and sets the standard for the modern romantic comedy. Audrey plays a princess who is on a tour of Europe; when her hectic schedule overwhelms her she flees her country's embassy and runs into Gregory Peck. He has no idea who she is, she doesn't know he's an American newspaperman, and she ends up back at his apartment since he can't quite get rid of her (why was he trying to?). Gregory sleeps through his scheduled interview with the princess the next morning and while trying to avoid getting into trouble with his boss he realizes who is back at his apartment and bets his boss that he can get an exclusive interview with the princess. What's not to love about two of the best-looking people on the planet riding a scooter and running around Rome during one magical day? James and Lara talk about the brilliance of William Wyler's direction and the stunning black-and-white photography, all the men that love this chick flick, Audrey's posture, the famous scene at the mouth of truth, and how ROMAN HOLIDAY is a near-perfect example of why people still love Classic Hollywood romantic movies.