Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

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Phil H. @PapercutsAndJumpcuts Feb 8 Capra’s cornball sincerity should collapse under its own weight….. & somehow it doesn’t. My favorite one of a kind everyman - Jimmy Stewart - turns naivety into moral courage, so the famous filibuster lands less as speechmaking than slow emotional exhaustion. The villains aren’t cartoons; they’re systems, which is why the movie still rings true, and stings hard. You don’t watch it for realism… you watch it to remember what the country claims it wants to be. Recommended viewing for those against autocrats. See more Breathe J @SilverScreenSweetheart Feb 2 From the golden age of Hollywood, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington is a phenomenal classic film that follows Jefferson Smith (James Stewart), a young political outsider who becomes a U.S. Senator against all odds. Laced with masterful direction (from Frank Capra), emotional scenes, deep patriotism, and breathtaking performances, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington is indeed a must-see. While there was not a dull performance in the film, James Stewart and Jean Arthur truly stole the show. Stewart’s passion, conviction and transformation from a naive citizen to an artful politician is stellar, and Jean Arthur’s portrayal of the intelligent Clarissa Saunders is truly a diamond. This movie is so inspiring, emotional, and patriotic, and not only will it make you want to run for the Senate tomorrow, but it will convince you that you can! Every American should watch this powerful masterpiece at least once in their laugh. It will make you laugh, cry, and thank your lucky stars that you are an American. See more Tad T @Tad19 Dec 9 Overlong and overrated. The film could happily be cut by 30 minutes as it begins to repeat the same basic ideas after having reached mid point. There are some amusing scenes, but it doesnt really have much emotional force: the idea of the boys camp is too cutesy, and the American nationalism comes over as disingeneuous and improbable. See more Grant H @RT95929188 Dec 2 One of the best from Hollywood’s golden year with every lead at the top of their craft! James Stewart was born to play this role that is the essence of American idealism, courage and optimism. In spite of its glowing principles, it also provides an insight into the chicanery of politics and how the US of 2025 came to be. See more Jeff B @Falco155 Sep 29 Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Review In Mr. Smith Goes to Washington a man is appointed to the senate after the previous senator dies. He does whatever it takes to fight and win against lies about him in the senate from politicians. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington creates a well told political story about what's right. Jeff Smith, the protagonist of the movie, fights Jim Taylor and Joe Paine for wanting a dam put where he wants a children's camp. The story that's created out of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is fascinating and respectful because it honors America by mentioning the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. It pays tribute to important figures in our country's history such as showing statues of: Samuel Adams, Alexander Hamilton, and Thomas Jefferson, John Hancock's signature and the famous Lincoln memorial. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington creates captivating characters in politics not just with its writing but with its acting particularly from: James Stewart as Jeff Smith. James Stewart makes Jeff Smith captivating and unique by making him both fearful and fearless at the same time. One example being when he 's looks fearful and overwhelmed when he's in the capitol building. He's overwhelmed by the senate. Smith is also brave because he's willing to fight lies against him from senators or politicians until he even wears himself out at the end. He has or appears to have two mentors in the film one being his hero and father's friend Joe Paine who seems to want him to give up for the most part, and his secretary Clarissa Saunders who doesn't want him to give up for the most part. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington does well not just as a film but with capturing life in the world of politics with being about fighting for what you believe in. See more Mason M @RT73597940 Jul 8 I really didn't know what to expect when I watched it, but Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is truly one of the greater films of the golden age. I always love a good movie with my main man Jimmy Stewart, and he really does give one of his best performances here. And Frank Capra's directing and image composition was stellar and contained a lot more personality and life than most other directors of this era. But where this film really shines through is its writing and plot. Jeff Smith and Saunders were both amazingly written and enjoyable to watch characters, it has one of the more effective political commentaries I've seen, the dialogue was well thought out yet still felt real, and the final act was one of the best 30-40 minute spans of a movie I've seen in a while. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is a riveting film with great characters that fully earns its place as a classic and one of the best films of its time. See more Read all reviews

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

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