#26 - Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Frank Capra knows how to make a movie that just warms your heart. This piece from his fell-goodery collection is pulled from the political science department. James Stewart plays Jefferson Smith, a man thrust into the headlines when he goes from being a boy-scout leader to state Senator overnight.

Conflicts arise when Smith tries to start a national boys' camp, to be paid for by young men all across the nation in the form of small-change donations. When he is accused to pocketing the money, Mr. Smith uses the finest tool our nation's freedom of speech has ever created: the senatorial filibuster. He talks for almost 24 hours, eventually changing the mind of the man who is persecuting him.

This is the first time I'd ever seen this 1939 movie, and to be honest, I've had a lot of opportunities to watch it before, but I've always been kind of intimidated by it. I didn't think I would understand everything, and it just seemed like it would be a labor to watch. I was right, in some ways, but I shouldn't have let those things deter me from seeing such an important piece of American cinema.

The film was quite controversial in its time. Its representation of Senators as drowsy, indifferent representatives was quite frowned upon by people in government. This turns out to be one of the film's greatest benefits, as we see the entire room full of politicians go from uninterested to engaged during Smith's filibuster.

Smith's love interest is an interesting one. Clarissa Saunders, played by Jean Arthur and only rarely called Clarissa throughout the film, becomes Mr. Smith's chief of staff when he arrives at Washington and they befriend one another. Smarter than most of the other characters, Saunders is dry and witty -- rare for a female character in 1939 (compare to Scarlett O'Hara, for instance).

But the centerpiece of the film is not a character or a performance (though Stewart is at perhaps his best as Mr. Smith). Instead, it is the final scene, or rather the idea of the final scene. The huskiness of Smith's voice, the urgency in Saunders's eyes, and the idea that this simpleton's cause has become a national phenomenon all make for a fantastic and pulse-pounding scene (if you're into political discourse). The movie is slow in the middle, but this makes up for it. A timeless classic, this movie is sure to inspire countless political hopefuls to become candidates for public office. And for that we can either thank or condemn the film, which ever you prefer.