Staff Writer- Emily Sustaita

Since joining The Gustavian Weekly, I’ve brainstormed sneaky ways to talk about old Hollywood films—my ultimate, favorite subject—and what better way to do this than to talk about a film that I recently watched: Mr Smith Goes To Washington. Of course, I’m not talking about this film just because it’s an old Hollywood film; I am talking about this film in particular because of its eternal relevance in this day and age.

Starring James Stewart and Jean Arthur, the film was released back in 1939. It follows the story of a youth leader named Jefferson Smith (played by Stewart) who is appointed to the Senate by a group of men who are under the control of the scheming Jim Taylor. It is when Smith decides to propose a meaningful bill, with the help of Clarissa Saunders (played by Arthur), that he discovers the reality of his appointment: playing upon his naivety, the group of men hope to pass a harmful act without him knowing. This story is one about corruption, and the importance of defending our political system from it, the way that Smith boldly does in the film.

The film stands relevant till this very day because it embodies a common feeling all American citizens share—our natural desire for truth. We don’t want ‘Giant Machine Taylors’ running our offices, who twist people’s words and push them into a corner; we want people who have integrity: someone who does the right thing even when no one is watching. In other words, we want a Smith who doesn’t give up on his people; who fights for the citizens back at home; who advocates for their needs, even if he does not fully agree with them. It is this common ground that we should all rejoice on, in some shape or form, as we go out into the world.

Furthermore, this film does a wonderful job of showing the important role that we citizens hold in defending our freedoms and political system. When Smith visits the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, he hears a young boy recite part of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. “That we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.”

At times, it’s easy to forget our American ideals. Yet, when we hear this reading, it reminds us of the powerful role that we have in this country. We are not here to idly watch things get done; this is a country run by the people, for the people. It is this statement that we should take comfort in as we move forward in life, knowing that being an American citizen means defending this special wave of freedom we pledged to have in this country.

At a certain point in the film, Jim Taylor races against Smith in order to paint a bad image of him in the newspaper, so that Smith stands no chance of garnering the truth out of Taylor or the men under him. It is this section of the film that emphasizes how important it is to be a critical thinker. What are the intentions of the person writing the article? What do they aim to get? Are they presenting things in a non-biased manner, or is their own personal bias slipping in? As we consume media, it is important for us to consider the intentions of someone’s writing, because just like in the film, we don’t know whether it is the truth or a cherry-picked version of it.

Lastly, this film stands the test of time because it reminds us of the importance of displaying American ideals. When Smith is discussing his plans with Clarissa Saunders about building a national boys camp, he emphasizes that it must demonstrate American ideals to the boys. As Smith famously puts it, “Liberty is too precious a thing to be buried in books.” And that’s the plain truth. We don’t want to grow up just to forget the precious aspects of our country; we want to be able to say with pride that we live in the land of the free because the country and people truly reflect it.

With that being said, like Smith, perhaps I’m a bit naive, and possess that too-good-to-be-true kind of energy, too optimistic—but as Clarissa Saunders said to Smith in the film, “Your friend, Mr. Lincoln had his Taylors and Paines. So did every other man who ever tried to lift his thought up off the ground. Odds against them didn’t stop those men. They were fools that way. All the good that ever came into this world came from fools with faith like that.” So yes, perhaps my desperate call to watch this film and reflect on its important lessons may seem foolish—but it is only with that foolish faith that we can reach that free world we desire to live in.

*Writer’s Note: This film, Mr Smith Goes To Washington, can be accessed for free on Tubi.