Rent Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

4.0 of 5 from 175 ratings
2h 5min
Rent Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Online DVD & Blu-ray Rental
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Synopsis:
James Stewart, Jean Arthur and Claude Rains star in this award-winning 1939 classic about an idealistic, small-town politician who heads to Washington and suddenly finds himself single-handedly battling ruthless politicians out to destroy him.
Actors:
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Directors:
Producers:
Frank Capra
Writers:
Sidney Buchman, Lewis R. Foster
Others:
Al Clark, Dimitri Tiomkin, John Livadary, Lionel Banks, Gene Havlick
Studio:
Columbia Tristar
Genres:
Classics, Drama
Collections:
10 Films to Watch if You Like Rebecca, 21 Reasons to Love, 21 Reasons to Love..Modern Westerns, Acting Up: British Actors at the Oscars, Acting Up: Top 10 Performances At Cannes, Award Winners, Films to Watch if You Like It's a Wonderful Life, Films to Watch If You Like..., Oscar Nominations Competition 2024, The Instant Expert's Guide, The Instant Expert's Guide to Frank Capra, Top 10 Best Picture Follow-Ups, Top 10 Films By Year, Top 10 Films of 1939, Top 100 AFI Movies, Top Films
Awards:

1940 Oscar Best Original Story

BBFC:
Release Date:
26/02/2001
Run Time:
125 minutes
Languages:
English Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono, French Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono, German Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono, Italian Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono, Spanish Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono
Subtitles:
Arabic, Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish
DVD Regions:
Region 2
Formats:
Pal
Aspect Ratio:
Full Screen 1.33:1 / 4:3
Colour:
B & W
Bonus:
  • Feature Length Commentary by Frank Capra Jr
  • Vintage Advertising Gallery
  • Filmographies
BBFC:
Release Date:
05/11/2018
Run Time:
129 minutes
Languages:
English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0, French Dolby Digital 1.0, German Dolby Digital 1.0, Italian Dolby Digital 1.0, Portuguese Dolby Digital 1.0, Spanish Dolby Digital 1.0
Subtitles:
Chinese, English, English Hard of Hearing, Greek, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai
Formats:
Pal
Aspect Ratio:
Full Screen 1.33:1 / 4:3
Colour:
B & W
BLU-RAY Regions:
B
Bonus:
  • Commentary by Frank Capra Jr
  • Frank Capra's American Dream: Feature-Length Documentary Hosted by Ron Howard
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Rare International Trailer
  • Five Featurettes
BBFC:
Release Date:
Not released
Run Time:
129 minutes

More like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Reviews (5) of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Lisa Simpson Outshines James Stewart - Mr. Smith Goes to Washington review by griggs

Spoiler Alert
03/06/2024

Frank Capra’s Me Smith Goes to Washington has long been heralded as a classic of American cinema, taking up spot 26 on the AFI 100 List. However, with time, the film's once-inspiring narrative has succumbed to a dated sentimentality that may not resonate with modern audiences. The film is often criticised for its overly sentimental and idealistic portrayal of politics. Capra's characteristic optimism is on full display, culminating in a happy ending that feels excessively simplistic, given the complexities of real-world politics. This idealism, perhaps uplifting during its time, now comes across as naive and unconvincing. You cannot help but draw comparisons to "The Simpsons" episode "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington," which offers a far more satirical and nuanced take on the themes of political integrity and corruption. Unlike Capra's film, the episode balances humour with a biting critique of political systems, making it a more effective and entertaining watch for contemporary viewers. While "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" might have been revolutionary, it now seems more like a relic of a bygone era, hindered by its schmaltzy storytelling and an overly rosy resolution. Time has not been kind to this film, and its message feels lost amidst its saccharine execution. Time to take it off the AFI 100.

1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.

Big Politics (spoiler). - Mr. Smith Goes to Washington review by Steve

Spoiler Alert
31/01/2021

Somewhere in these two hours is the moment when Frank Capra's films stop being comedies at all, and the humour gets swallowed up in the moral darkness.  It opens with a traditional comic premise. James Stewart plays a fish out of water who is, out of his depth... a scout leader promoted to be a US Senator. He discovers that the whole barrel is rotten, and he must fight for the soul of his nation.

 With the world at war between fascism and the free world, the Italian born Capra sounds a grim warning to home audiences. He shows us politics is owned by graft. An industry magnate (Edward Arnold) runs a corrupt Senator (Claude Rains) who has abandoned his ideals. And they take the quixotic newcomer down when he opposes the crooked misuse of public money.

 In support, Jean Arthur is excellent as the tough spad insider who cynically attaches herself to Stewart. She changes sides. But as so often with Capra, it's the threat which represents the real world, and the resolution is just the illusion of hope we all need to carry on. In an unlikely turn of fortune, the conscience of the dishonest Senator finds its voice.

 This was a big breakout role for Stewart and establishes his persona as the conscience of the American silent majority, which is a presumed integrity. It's a beautiful looking film, with the then-novelty of deep focus photography. But mainly it is a warning to all that democracy and freedom are precarious and have to be fought for, or they will be lost.

1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.

A Classic. - Mr. Smith Goes to Washington review by KG

Spoiler Alert
17/03/2020

A Most Excellent film.   The USA has changed in various ways since then, but clearly not in all !   Jimmy Stewart at his memorable early best.   Jean Arthur also fine ( and no surprise that she was able later to reach her magnificent best in Shane ).   

We did actually find the final 10 minutes to be quite confusing however.

1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.

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