Theodora Goes Wild: Or, how to lose your mind in a small town

Is it worth your time?

Honestly? Yeah. If you like those old-school movies where people talk at a hundred miles an hour and everyone is slightly losing their grip on reality, you’ll dig this. It’s got that 1930s charm that doesn't feel too heavy. If you get annoyed by people making obviously bad decisions just to keep a plot moving, you might want to skip it.

Irene Dunne is the whole show here. She starts off playing this character, Theodora, who is so painfully shy she practically fades into the wallpaper. Watching her shift gears from 'proper church lady' to 'scandalous author' is the best part of the whole movie. She has this look she does—kind of a squinty-eyed realization—that kills me every time.

There’s a bit where she’s trying to hide her identity and Melvyn Douglas just won’t let it go. It’s supposed to be romantic, I guess, but it’s also kind of pushy? They spend so much time bickering that you almost forget they’re supposed to be falling in love. It works, though. It’s a bit like watching a car crash in slow motion, if the car crash was wearing a fancy hat.

The small-town neighbors are the absolute worst. They’re these busybodies who seem to have nothing better to do than watch people’s windows. It’s suffocating, and the movie knows it. You feel that pressure right along with her. Every time someone asks her about her book, I wanted to jump into the screen and help her lie better.

Sometimes the film feels a little bit like it’s struggling to figure out if it wants to be a romance or a farce. It switches back and forth, and sometimes that makes the rhythm feel a little off. Like, one minute we’re doing slapstick, and the next we’re dealing with hurt feelings.

Don't get me wrong, it’s not as chaotic as Alibi Ike, but it has its moments. There's a scene near the end involving a parade or a public gathering—I honestly lost track—where the whole thing just goes completely off the rails. It’s chaotic in a way that feels very intentional, which I appreciated.

Some random notes I took:

• Theodora’s hats are basically their own characters.
• The dialogue is sharp, but sometimes it’s too sharp, like they’re trying to cut glass with it.
• I kept waiting for someone to actually read the book, but nobody ever does!
• Melvyn Douglas is very good at playing the guy who knows he’s being a jerk but can’t help himself.

It’s not perfect. The ending wraps up a little too neatly, like they were running out of film stock and just decided to call it a day. But hey, it made me laugh, and that’s more than I can say for a lot of stuff I watch these days. It reminded me a bit of the vibe in The Make-Believe Wife, just with less confusion and more book-writing. If you want something light, this is a solid pick for a Tuesday night when you're tired of everything else.