This wonderful film has been a perennial favorite of mine, ever since I first saw it as a small boy.<br /><br />It's kind of strange that this film made such an impact on a little kid, because there's either no action or adventure and there are no "showy" melodramatics; it's a sensitive film not a sentimental one, if you know what I mean.<br /><br />"Penny Serenade" is an utterly touching account of the lives of an average middle-class married couple, showing their longings, dreams and deceptions; their joys and their sad moments; life in itself, poignantly played by the two leads.<br /><br />The movie depicts in a very real, truthful way, everyday vignettes in the lives of this couple since they first meet, with plenty of dialogue (some viewers may find it kind of "talky"), but nonetheless of a very honest kind.<br /><br />Irene Dunne and Cary Grant give so much truth to their performances; the situations in which they are involved ring so true and are so real and touching, with no contrivances or artificiality of any kind. The film is devoid of any fake and this makes it much more striking. Their performances are really impressive and only very skilled actors, like Dunne and Grant, can deliver so well in drama as well as in comedy.<br /><br />George Stevens, one of the best Hollywood directors, demonstrates his huge talent in this wonderful film.<br /><br />Excellent and touching performances by Edgar Buchanan as a friend of the couple with a heart of gold and dear Beulah Bondi, as a sweet lady who runs an orphanage.<br /><br />Superior film in all aspects.