Roman Holiday

1953 • 119 min • Romance · Comedy · Drama

Join the Angel Guild Write your review Sign in to rate and review

Synopsis

Overwhelmed by her suffocating schedule, touring European princess Ann takes off for a night while in Rome. When a sedative she took from her doctor kicks in, however, she falls asleep on a park bench and is found by an American reporter, Joe Bradley, who takes her back to his apartment for safety. At work the next morning, Joe finds out Ann's regal identity and bets his editor he can get exclusive interview with her, but romance soon gets in the way.

Our family guide

Best from age 8

Movie Knight Score

2305 reviews

100 Reviewers · 3 · 53%
79 Audience · 2302 · 47%

Princess Ann, weary of her royal duties, sneaks away for a day of freedom in Rome. She meets an American reporter, Joe, who initially sees an exclusive story, but their unexpected adventure leads to a budding romance. This charming black-and-white classic is a delightful tale of love and duty.

Violence & peril: 1/10
Language: 1/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking: 2/10
Romance & sensuality: 2/10
Scary moments: 1/10

Heads up

A character smokes cigarettes occasionally
Light peril from a brief chase scene

What it models well

The importance of personal freedom
Finding joy in simple pleasures
The beauty of exploring new places
The value of integrity

Talk about it after

The tension between duty and personal desires
How different cultures and lifestyles are portrayed
The concept of a "secret identity" and its challenges
The impact of media on public figures

Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for Roman Holiday. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.

Where to watch

Country

Stream

YouTube TV

Free

Free with ads

YouTube Free

Rent

JustWatch TV
Amazon Video
Apple TV Store
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At Home
Spectrum On Demand

Buy

Links go straight to each service. Some are affiliate links that support Movie Knight at no cost to you. Availability data by JustWatch via TMDB.

Top billed cast

Director: William Wyler • Crew: John Dighton, Ian McLellan Hunter, Dalton Trumbo, Dalton Trumbo, Ian McLellan Hunter

Trailers & clips

Audrey Hepburn’s Rare Screen Test Footage For 'Roman Holiday'

"Vespa" Clip

70th Anniversary Spot

Holiday Clip

Kiss Clip

Trailer

Vanessa Williams on Roman Holiday

Fathom Events Spot

Reviewer notes

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
**Considered by many to be the first and greatest film of Audrey Hepburn's career.** What is special about this film? Really, little. The story is very simple: it is the almost adolescent escape of a young princess who, tired of the responsibilities and visibility inherent in a crown, decides to distract herself and live her youth for a few hours. The problem is that she ends up, inadvertently, at the home of a...
FilipeManuelNeto, TMDB Community

Recommended
Audrey Hepburn is the visiting princess "Ann" whose whistle-stop tour of Europe reaches Rome. Put to bed, as usual, she decides to don some ordinary clothes and venture out for a bit of exploring. Now, initially I thought she was going to hook up with some swarthy, tousled, Lothario but nope - she meets American journalist Gregory Peck - quite the epitome of the ordinary "Joe"! Full of the sedatives that her peopl...
Geronimo1967, TMDB Community

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
Lighthearted and enjoyable comedy featuring two wonderful and charismatic performances by Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn in her first major role. Last saw this 12 years ago and still fun to this day. **4.5/5**
JPV852, TMDB Community