Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

1939 drama

Rating: 16/20

Plot: Jimmy Stewart goes to Washington and gets excited about a rotunda.

This is probably more what my dad had in mind--a movie in which Jimmy Stewart plays a character who is sexually attracted to a rotunda. Now we know what the Lincoln statue is scowling at, I guess.

Jimmy Stewart is part grasshopper. I've known that for a long time, but I didn't realize how long his fingers were. I couldn't take my eyes off his fingers in this movie. So while Mr. Smith is getting an erection upon seeing a rotunda, my own pants bulged because of his long and lovely fingers.

I realize that's probably too much information for you, but nobody is reading this anyway. You don't even exist.

Jimmy Stewart's fun to watch in this political drama. His character is almost exactly what you'd expect him to play in a movie made in the 1930's about a politician. He makes some bird calls, does that shaky-voice thing while introducing a bill, waves to a statue, and eats a doughnut intensely. He's an idealized sort of hero, the kind who a bunch of boy scouts can whoop or cheer about, and the homeyness is pretty thick here. However, there's a triumphant "Here!" during a roll call and a moment when he says, "You're a liar" to a character that has a lot of bite.

He also punches at members of the fake media, something that I'm sure Trump would have memetized by now if he'd ever seen a movie that he wasn't in (Home Alone 2, for example) or changed the channel from Fox News and caught a piece of this. Of course, he wouldn't be interested in a movie that was made before the world had any color in it, would he?

By the end of a 24+ hour filibuster, Stewart is gasping for air and collapsing, his storky legs not quite able to match the persistence of his character's spirit. It's good stuff even if it's straight out of 1930's Hollywood, a time when characters talk a little too loudly and music almost assaults the viewer.

Speaking of music, this has some odd choices. I mean, "Auld Lang Syne" is in there, something I guess Frank Capra felt he had to use in every single movie. But there's a moment when "I Dream of Jeannie" is used that makes almost no sense at all.

Jimmy Stewart: Kid--what's your name?
Kid: Richard Jones.
Jimmy Stewart: Alright, Dick.

Simpler times, right?

Oh, kids! There are a lot of them in this movie, and none of them can act. I can't verify it, but I think every child actor from the 30s-50s had to have been shown Little Rascals clips and told by directors, "That's exactly how I want you to act no matter what is going on in any given scene. Got it?" and then let them loose. The child acting in this seems especially painful.

Any rating deduction I'd normally give this for the child acting is gained back by three things though: Jim's squeaking shoes, a glare in the non-Smith senator's glasses in a couple of shots, and the newspaper printing montage.