Review of You Can't Take It with You (1938) by Leah B — 07 Jan 2009

This film reminded me a lot of 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington' for a number of reasons- it's directed by the same Great Mr. Frank Capra, it stars the same two leads (the perfection that is Jimmy Stewart and Jean Arthur), and it has that same, untouchable, Golden-era feel to it.

And it's almost equally as good, which is really saying something. If there is a flaw to this film, it's that it takes a little while to build up, but I hardly minded it by the time the film really hit it's stride (when Stewart's impossibly snobby parents met Arthur's wacky family).

When you really think about it, though, Stewart and Arthur's romance wasn't even the main story- that, I think, belonged to Lionel Barrymore (Mr. Potter?!) and Edward Arnold as Arthur's grandfather and Stewart's dad.

At the heart of 'You Can't Take it With You' is a story about enjoying life and choosing between doing what you want to do ("having fun") or what people say you have to do ("having no fun").

All in all it's a great and touching film, and totally deserving of it's place in history as a Best Picture winner.