Roman Holiday

Roman Holiday (1953)

  • 98% of critics liked it
    (44 reviews)

  • 92% of users liked it
    (59,948 ratings)

Audrey Hepburn became a star with this film, in which she played Princess Anne, weary of protocol and anxious to have some fun before she is mummified by "affairs of state." On a diplomatic visit to Rome, Anne escapes her royal retainers and scampers incognito through the Eternal City. She… More

Play Trailer

Unrated,
Directed By
Written By
Dalton Trumbo, John Dighton
Genres
Drama, Romance, Classics, Comedy
In Theaters
Sep 2, 1953 Wide
Paramount Pictures

Critic Reviews

  • , TIME Magazine

    The newcomer named Audrey Hepburn gives the popular old romantic nonsense a reality it has seldom had before.

  • James Berardinelli, ReelViews

    For lovers of romantic comedies through the ages, Roman Holiday remains a favorite.

  • Variety Staff, Variety

    [Wyler] times the chuckles with a never-flagging pace, puts heart into the laughs, endows the footage with some boff bits of business and points up some tender, poignant scenes in using the smart script and the cast to the utmost advantage.

  • Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

    Wyler lays out all the elements with care and precision, but the romantic comedy never comes together -- it's charm by computer.

  • Geoff Andrew, Time Out

    The movie remains a great tonic.

Read all 17 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Daniel P


    No question that it's a classic, as Audrey Hepburn's debut and a fine example of the Do The Right Thing roles that Gregory Peck excelled in: family friendly with a few laughs and revolving around a one-day blossoming of an impossible love. Hepburn overacts a bit, and I could… More

  • Albert K


    A light-hearted and innocent rom-com that set the bar for movies to come. With such an age, "Roman Holiday" should, by every right, be considered a conventional and cliche movie, but it surpasses due to its palpable and saturated chemistry and genuinely hilarious moments.… More

  • Saskia D


    In a way this movie is about appreciating the small things in life and enjoying them with good company. Work to live, don't live to work. In Princess Anne's case, she doesn't have a choice, she was born into it. Although the movie isn't a masterpiece, it's… More

  • Anthony L


    Roman Holiday isn't without faults but each one of them is forgivable. This is a beautiful romance from a golden age of film making. Interestingly, this film led the way for film to be filmed on location rather than in the studio which makes it quite important in the history of… More

  • Luke B


    Given the accolades this film has received I was certainly expecting more. Gregory Peck once commented that every romantic comedy script he received had the fingerprints of Cary Grant on it. This transcends into the film itself. Peck is a marvelous actor, no doubt, but he lacks the… More

Read all 20 featured audience ratings

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