Audrey plays the part of a young princess from "a country which shall remain nameless," presumably from Western Europe. She is on a goodwill tour of Europe to strengthen relationships with other countries and do a bunch of really dull errands that she could care less about. This might even have been her first trip away from her unseen parents. She is well guarded, though, by an entourage of older generals and dutchesses that seem to be more at home with Anne's parents than her. The strain of her responsibilities overwhelms her, though, and she has a small breakdown. She is sedated, but before the shot can take effect, Anne sneaks out of the embassy and is loose on the streets of Rome. Through happenstance she meets Joe Bradley, handsomely played by Gregory Peck. Joe reluctantly takes the drowsy (what he thinks to be drunk) girl back to his small, dingy flat that she mistakes for an elevator to sleep it off. The next morning Joe realizes just who is sleeping on his uncomfortable chaise lounge in his pajamas, and quickly realizes that opportunity is knocking. He makes a bet with his editor that he can get a big scoop on the suddenly ill (according to her people in the embassy) princess, and rings his seedy photographer friend Irving (perfectly played by Eddie Albert) to snap some secret pictures of the AWOL princess living it up.
The two men charm Anne, who thinks she's pulling one over on them by claiming to be a schoolgirl and going by the name of Anya Smith, into confiding in them and telling them about things she's always wanted to do. Her wants are so tragically simple to ordinary people that it's easy to gloss over them: when is the last time you really wanted to sit at an outdoor café or walk in the rain? She buys cool sandals to better deal with the mugginess of Rome in the summer and cuts off her long hair in an act of rebellion.
After a wonderful day with Joe and Irving, Anne wants to cap the night with dancing on the Tiber River -- which was suggested by none other than the barber who cut her hair. It's here that she and Joe realize that they've become attached to each other, but before anything can happen, reality catches up. She narrowly avoids capture by dark-suited goons from her country, only to realize that she can't hide forever and must do what is right. I won't completely give away the ending because it really is something you need to see for yourself, but I must admit to holding my breath long after the movie was over. It's a beautiful story that manages to be realistic in its fantasy, and is the perfect beginning for Audrey's magical career. This role earned Audrey her first of five Oscar nominations, but was sadly the only film she ever won the award for. Still, it's easy to see why a spell was cast on the world when this movie was released, and Audrey was the enchantress behind that spell.
Rating: 5 stars
VHS: This is still available on videotape. If you know you're going to be with a VCR for a while, then this film is definitely worth buying on tape! And it's cheap enough so that when you do upgrade to DVD, you won't be out a lot of money. You can even donate your tape to a group or other worthy cause, to spread the love.
DVD: The only DVD out for Roman Holiday is the lovely 50th anniversary edition, so be thankful there aren't a million choices to confuse you like there is with other Audrey films. The DVD costs even less than the VHS new, if you can believe it, and has a documentary, two featurettes, a photo gallery and three trailers! A very definite must-have for any and all Audrey fans.