Mr.Smith Goes to Washington
"Great principles don't get lost after coming to light. They're right here. You just have to see them again"
(Jimmy Stewart, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington)
Tonight I watched one of my favorite movies, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington with my wonderful girlfriend. I usually try to watch this Jimmy Stewart classic at least once a semester. As a cynical history student, Mr. Smith serves as a reminder of the potential goodness inherent in all human beings. It serves, for me as a wonderful counterbalance to all of the theory and history I read bemoaning the evils of mankind. It also shows that the United States of America was built on real and good principles. Senator Jefferson Smith believes that even though corruption and greed exist, goodness can and will eventually win out.
No one will ever be able to forget Stewart's memorable filibuster scene at the end of the movie. He literally talks himself into a state of exhaustion, and in doing so, he wins his battle with the evil political boss, Charles Taylor. He, along with Gregory Peck in To Kill a Mockingbird, prove that heroism is found in its purest form outside action scenes and sword fights. Stewart was young in this movie, but he received a Academy Award Nomination for his performance. Two years later he became a real hero as he entered World War II as a fighter pilot. Stewart willingly gave four of his best acting years to defend his country. He was an admirable man that loved to play admirable characters. The American Film Institute recently named Mr. Smith Goes to Washington as the 29th greatest film ever made in the United States and Jefferson Smith as the 11th greatest movie hero of all time. Check the movie out. You'll be glad you did.
posted by Joel @ 12:20 AM
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