Michael is a work-focused commodities trader, and Marian, a socialite yearning for grand romance, becomes infatuated with Jaromir, a deposed king.

Their teenage daughter, Tillie, aims to save her parents' marriage while pursuing a relationship with Professor Nathan Reade, a socially awkward paleontologist.

The plot encompasses themes of marital discord, the lengths to which individuals will go to protect or salvage relationships, and the comedic absurdity of mixing modern sensibilities with prehistoric dramatizations.

[4] Cinema scholar Gaylyn Studlar positioned the release of Adam's Rib as part of studio-led effort to bring "high art to film" and capture a wider audience of middle-class women.

Commentators have blamed the film's poor performance on the public's waning taste for lavish bedroom comedies and an unfortunate release timing on the same day as Buster Keaton's Three Ages, which also featured a "zany caveman" character.