Mr Smith Goes to Washington (Spec)
by Frank Capra
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Actor: Claude Rains, Edward Arnold, Guy Kibbee, James Stewart, Jean ArthurDirector: Frank Capra
Edition: VHS Tape
Audio: English (Original Language), Analog
Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, NTSC, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered, Special Edition
Running Time: 130 minutes
Release Date: 2000-02-22
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Publisher: Sony Pictures
Studio: Sony Pictures
VHS Movie Reviews of Mr Smith Goes to Washington (Spec)
Movie Review: A question about this film...
Summary: 4 Stars
Early in this movie, Jeff Smith (Stewart) is given a going-away
dinner in his home town. He mentions that his father and Sen.
Payne (Claude Rains) were close friends in college. At this,
Payne looks startled, then looks questioningly at Smith's
mother, who nods slightly. The subject is never raised again. Question: is there an implication that Payne might be Smith's
father? If this possibility has been discussed elsewhere, I'm
not aware of it. It would certainly add an intriguing Oedipal
subtext to the later conflict between Smith and Payne. I'd be
most interested to hear what others think about this.
Movie Review: Mr. Smith goes to Washington
Summary: 5 Stars
Fasinating insight into political shenanigans involving self serving citizens who buy governmental favors from weak politicians. Money can corrupt elected official who may have been of sound character. Claude Rains portrays a senior senator who has become compromised by a rich campaign donor. Jimmy Stewart is appointed to fill out the term of a recently decease U.S. Senator and becomes caught up in a land deal that threatens a wilderness area within his state. The story focuses on Jimmy Stewart tenacious belief in right and wrong and putting the public's interest first. The tactics that money and power can bring to bare on the untested and naive public servant is shown in all it's ugliness. Jean Arthur's character provides administrative and emotional support to Jimmy Stewart and is a delight to watch. The movie is presented in black and white, which enhances the dramatic events even more clearly to the viewer. Movie Review: One of the all-time American cinematic classics and gems!
Summary: 5 Stars
Jimmy Stewart and Jean Arthur are absolutely stunning and captivating in this longtime, highly rated American film classic. It is a great 'David vs. Goliath' story about corrupt men and politics, and how an honest 'small guy' surmounts all odds to reveal the corrupt and criminal political machine in his home state. I was moved to tears during this great film, of course knowing in the back of my mind how the United States *IS* becoming more corrupt and undemocratic, given the major 'conflicts of interest' in organizations like our FDA (for example, big pharma execs sitting in on the board there, instead of impartial scientists), or the many political lobbyists 'whoring' themselves and their vested interests to our politicians who have seemed to forget the most important needs of the American people! The message of political corruption in "MSGTW" is more relevant than ever in today's America on so many fronts. Just a GREAT, entertaining, riveting film that moves along perfectly, and shows how advanced great storytelling and film-craft was even back in 1939!!! Frank Capra was one of the best, ever. A 'must own' for your American movie classics collection!Movie Review: After 70 years, this Stereotyped Movie Really Isn't Very Good
Summary: 2 Stars
If I was a U.S. senator, which thankfully I'm not, I'd be appalled by the characterization. Every senator (except for Jefferson Smith) is portrayed as a corrupt, petty windbag. The senate floor is inundated with overanimated children (literally) who seem to control the proceedings. The president of the senate is constantly giggling at Smith's antics and appears to be the only senator sympathetic to Mr. Smith's cause. Apparently Mr. Smith's dad wasn't much of a judge of character in his assessment of the corrupt Mr. Payne. I don't have a high opinion of politicians, but if the real ones are anything like the portrayal here, we'd be in a lot of trouble. Movie Review: Po;itis Today??
Summary: 5 Stars
I thorughly enjoyed this film simply because it is in direct opposition to the ongoing politcs of today. Mr. Smith's character certainly reminds me of Senator Barack Obama's on going character assination.
Summary of Mr Smith Goes to Washington (Spec)
Political heavyweights decide that Jefferson Smith (James Stewart), an obscure scoutmaster in a small town, would be the perfect dupe to fill a vacant U.S. Senate chair. Surely this naive bumpkin can be easily controlled by the senior senator (Claude Rains) from his state, a respectable and corrupted career politician. Director Frank Capra fills the movie with Smith's wide-eyed wonder at the glories of Washington, all of which ring false for his cynical secretary (Jean Arthur), who doesn't believe for a minute this rube could be for real. But he is. Capra was repeating the formula of a previous film, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, but this one is even sharper; Stewart and Arthur are brilliant, and the former cowboy star Harry Carey lends a warm presence to the role of the vice president. Bright, funny, and beautifully paced, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is Capra's ode to the power of innocence--an idea so potent that present-day audiences may find themselves wishing for a new Mr. Smith in Congress. The 1939 Congress was none too thrilled about the film's depiction of their august body, denouncing it as a caricature; but even today, Capra's jibes about vested interests and political machines look as accurate as ever. --Robert HortonGeneral Video
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