It's so easy nowadays to access the writings and lectures of Stanley Cavell and have a magnificent adventure in thinking.
His book about the ontology of film is titled "The World Viewed", his melodrama book is titled "Contesting Tears" and his comedy book that has a chapter about "The Awful Truth" is titled "Pursuits of Happiness".
Youtube has an interview of Cavell conducted at UCBerkeley that explains the philosophical perspective on film. It's titled "Conversations with History".
"The Awful Truth" is a comedy about second chances. It is about transcending skepticism about marriage as a preferred location for a pursuit of happiness. I will return to the topic later in this thread since another film in my top 10 all-time is a 21st century example of the same genre.