I had the pleasure of hosting the August edition of Secret Movie Night at EMAGINE Willow Creek Theaters last night. It’s a monthly event organized by EMAGINE Minnesota that takes place on the second Wednesday of every month at 7 PM. I haven’t seen Roman Holiday since 2012, when I first saw it, though I did see clips of it from time to time over the years. But it’s truly quite a treat to see it on the big screen, plus the main auditorium I was at has a huge screen with premium sound and leather, power-reclining seats.

I had the privilege of hosting the August edition, and I had such a blast! Huge thanks to Tim Holly, the creative manager for Emagine Entertainment, who organized the event and made the experience so memorable. If you’ve been to EMAGINE Theaters, you’d have seen Tim as well as MN critics and cinephiles welcoming you on the screen. I got to introduce the film, without revealing the secret title, and then co-host the post-screening discussion. I’m glad to see that most of the audience stayed for a while afterward, in fact, more than half actually stayed until the end of the Q&A.

I’m so thrilled that I got to be a part of this fantastic monthly series, and Emagine MN has an awesome way to commemorate the event! Tim invited me to sign a Roman Holiday poster that’ll be framed on the wall of Emagine Willow Creek, along with other posters from past Secret Movie Nights. Plus, I got to take one poster home as a souvenir, woot!

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Why I chose Roman Holiday

I had written this Valentine-themed post of 59 Reasons I love Roman Holiday back in 2012, and I still stand by everything I listed there.

Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck are simply magical together on screen. I’m glad they ended up starring in this film despite not being the first choice (Liz Taylor + Jean Simmons were considered for Princess Ann, and Cary Grant (natch) was originally offered the role of Joe Bradley. I can’t imagine anyone but Audrey Hepburn in the role; she’s got such charm and adorable innocence about her, you simply can’t take your eyes off her! Most of you might already know my undying love for Mr. Peck 😍 What a beautiful man and his chemistry with Audrey is undeniable [swoon] 💕

William Wyler‘s direction is spot on, striking a perfect balance between a lighthearted vibe and a hint of poignancy. The film flows smoothly without a dull moment in sight. Naturally, Dalton Trumbo‘s brilliant script is worthy of an Oscar… he masterfully blends comedy, playfulness, and emotional bits. Glad that WGA restored Trumbo’s rightful credit, as he was blacklisted during the McCarthy era when the film came out in 1953. Even though the movie might come off as trivial or a bit silly at times, there’s an unexpected richness to the characters and the way each one is forever changed by the end of their whirlwind time together in the Eternal City. Rome itself is practically a character in the film, as one audience member pointed out last night.

Wyler sure had the right instinct when he insisted on filming it on location in Rome, which made the movie far more authentic. He captures the daily sounds and sights of the city… the lively market, the noise of traffic, people bustling around, and more… it really adds a lot of charm to the already enchanting scenes. The film highlights famous Roman landmarks as the setting for a princess’s hidden escapades in the city, but it doesn’t feel forced or come off as an Italian travelogue. The scenery blends seamlessly into the narrative and never steals the spotlight from the characters.

Post-Screening Discussion

Someone came up to me after the Q&A to point out the rather curious scene of Joe trying to steal a camera from a little girl by the Trevi Fountain. It’s such an amusing scene as Joe is obviously in a panic that he won’t get a chance to visually capture the experience with the Princess, as by this point, his photographer friend Irving (Eddie Albert) isn’t around yet. It shows that Joe isn’t the noble and unselfish character that Ann thought he was, but of course, later on, he did choose to do the honorable thing.

After watching it a second time, I find myself appreciating Albert’s performance even more. Irving is just as crucial a character as Joe, and he really shows what a great friend he is by being super generous and forgiving during the entire situation. I also love that he calls Ann ‘Smithy) 😂

That unforgettable ending…

The ending is the most talked-about topic during the post-discussion and for good reason! In my 2012 post, I waxed lyrical about that bittersweet but realistic ending when Princess Ann chooses royal duty over romance… perhaps inspired by what Joe said at the apartment before their tearful goodbye…

Life isn’t always what one likes, is it?

Joe strolls down the deserted palace hallway, all alone since all the press members have left the building. The sound of his footsteps bounces off the high ceiling as he slowly exits the building. Passing by the two guards, he steals one last look at the stage. It’s empty. The music rises, making it clear that they will never meet again. Joe continues walking towards the camera and fades away, holding onto the memory of that day in Rome, a moment he will treasure for the rest of his life.

Several folks mentioned how the characters express a lot without uttering a single word. During the press conference, the way Ann and Joe gaze at one another says a lot. They couldn’t put their feelings into words, but their eyes communicated everything that needed to be conveyed.

A female audience member asks the question… ‘Why do you think Joe still goes back to the press conference after saying goodbye to Ann?

In my reply, I said that perhaps Joe wants to give Ann a proper goodbye and come clean to her, since when they said farewell in the car, Ann still had no idea who he really was. And perhaps Joe is also holding onto the hope that, just maybe, he could achieve the fairy-tale ending he never sought until that fateful day. Whatever the case, that ending shows that the two genuinely fell for each other, and perhaps that’s all they need to get through the rest of their lives.

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Have you seen ROMAN HOLIDAY? What’s YOUR favorite thing about it?