It's a rom-com, folks—it's gonna be about love.
Well, okay. It's a little more complicated than that: It Happened One Night's take on the L-word is distinctive, and that's why the film has endeared generations of viewers. Two travelers run into each other on a bus—almost literally—and at first you'd think they were a match made in hell. They couldn't have less in common: She's rich, he's poor; she's spoiled, he's scrappy. But the more you learn about them both, the clearer it becomes that they're made for each other. And it's because of—not despite—their differences.
Questions about Love
- What's love got to do with It Happened One Night? What does the film have to say that's distinctive about this age-old theme?
- What's surprising about the couple that forms in this film? Would audiences have expected to see someone like Ellie fall for someone like Peter? If so, why? If not, what conventions and expectations does the film seem to be contesting?
- What is the relationship between love and marriage in It Happened One Night? Which comes first, love or marriage, and why?
Chew on This
It Happened One Night stages a love that cuts across class boundaries. In this way, the film suggests that love trumps money, and that it's love, not money, that defines a life.
By including both a loveless and a loving marriage, It Happened One Night makes the case for the importance of love in any marriage.