Review of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) by Paxton H — 16 May 2009
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is a timeless dive into the Washington meat grinder of politics. The film is a lot deeper than one might expect for the time period. There are a lot of "players" in this story, each with their own personal and/or political subplots and histories.
I just watched it for the first time, but I can tell this will be pleasurable to watch again, so that I can pay more attention to some of the side characters. The performances or Claude Rains, Jean Arthur, and Grant Mitchell, and, of course, Jimmy Stewart stood out.
Each of their characters, except maybe Rains as Senator Paine, showed great humor on top of their dramatic scenes, thanks to the great script (which won an Oscar). Capra's political theater doesn't let the humor get too silly, though.
It is still a David and Goliath story about a young, idealistic new Senator who gets caught up in a scandal when he ruffles the feathers of a political machine. All Stewart's Senator Smith wants is to create a boy's camp in his home state.
He and his spunky assistant write up a bill for a government loan to fund the camp, and we get a good lesson in lawmaking. Capra shows us how naivety doesn't get one very far in Washington. Whether you think the ending seems tacked, unrealistic, on or too abrupt, it is genuinely Capra.
It is very difficult for me to see any real flaws in this film. I highly recommend it for adults and teenagers.
This review of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) was written by Paxton H on 16 May 2009.
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington has generally received very positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
