Delayed Reaction: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

The Pitch: The American government kind of sucks, but does it have to?

I'm a cynic when it comes to government. I don't mean I'm constantly disappointed in it or get my hopes up. I never have expectations for it. It's not a matter of how we can fix it. All I'm hoping for is to slow down how quickly it's going to shit. This comes from a belief in the incompetence of the system, not a belief in it being run by awful people (although that helps). So, to say I go into something like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington with a mixed opinion is fair.

Overall, this is a charming little movie. It's pretty bold, given when it was released*. Later shows and movies have gone much darker with government corruption, but this is among the boldest when put into societal context. Jimmy Stewart is perfect for the role. Once I accepted the one big leap in the story, that a man like him could somehow end up a Senator, it was easy to see how the rest of it played out. The biggest issue I had with the movie is that I spent the entirety of it feeling bad that such a good man as Mr. Smith is stuck being a politician. I'm pretty sure that's the wrong perspective for the film. I feel like I say this a lot, but this is another case of "It's not you, it's me" when not loving a movie. On a technical level, it's well made. I just couldn't find a way in on an emotional level.

*Holy hell. I look at the Oscars for that year. It lost nearly everything. But that's because it was the same year as arguably the biggest movie of all time (Gone with the Wind). Also, the same year as The Wizard of Oz. Big year.

Verdict (?): Weakly Recommend