greenfruit's "Want to See"
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Created by greenfruit on Sep 11, 2008.
If anyone's reading this... — 4 years ago
Just wanted to also mention a few more titles in the same theme as #1-16 (political campaigns with a few about voting and presidential politics thrown in for good measure). I’ve already seen them so they aren’t listed above but I felt that they warranted mentioning to any who haven’t seen them. Clicking on any of the titles will take you to their pages on AllMovieGuide. I’ll also post links to IMDb and Turner Classic Movies [click TCM link and then look in upper right under the film’s blue title bar where it says “Playing on TCM” to see if it is airing in the next 3 months – btw, in case anyone’s wondering, Turner Classic Movies is a cable television channel. The version I’m referring to is in the U.S. and Canada (FYI: for some reason, sometimes certain movies are not shown in Canada. Canadians should check this schedule and click on the appropriate link in the upper right to be sure)]. All of these are worth viewing:
Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (1939) – a personal favorite. The filibuster scene is particularly memorable. Jimmy Stewart’s performance is unforgettable. (I know this doesn’t really fit in with the themes mentioned above but it’s hard for me to write about any political movie without mentioning it at least once). IMDb | TCM
Meet John Doe (1941) – Frank Capra’s darkest film. Very different from the above offering from Capra. I love them both. Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck star. Another favorite that doesn’t really fit in completely with the theme but I just had to mention it. DVD can be purchased for cheap (b/c it’s in the public domain – so you can also watch it on the internet for free – Internet Archive has several versions for streaming and download). POSSIBLESPOILER (highlight white area to read): A tacked-on happy ending by the studio still doesn’t diminish its power to keep you thinking about it for days.IMDb | TCM
All The King’s Men (1949) – a classic. Though I will admit that I thought it was a bit overrated, I can honestly say that I enjoyed it and I recommend it. Broderick Crawford’s performance is the star of this film. Don’t bother with the bad remake. IMDb | TCM
The Last Hurrah (1958) – Directed by John Ford. Starring Spencer Tracy. Two of the best from Hollywood’s Golden Age. This unjustly overlooked drama is about a long-time politician’s (Tracy as a city mayor) last campaign. Great supporting cast, including terrific character actor Basil Rathbone [Sherlock Holmes; Sir Guy in Robin Hood (1938), among many others] and Pat O’Brien (Father Jerry in Angels with Dirty Faces ). IMDb | TCM
The Best Man (1964) – Great writing from Gore Vidal, who wrote the original play and then this screenplay. The 2 front runners (Henry Fonda and Cliff Robertson) battle it out at the National Convention to be their party’s nominee. Robertson’s character is willing to do anything it takes to win but Fonda wants to take the high road and avoid personal attacks. Great performances all around: the leads are terrific as are the supporting cast (especially Lee Tracy as the current president). This is not available on DVD, unfortunately – try to catch this one on TCM (they show it every now and then). IMDb | TCM
The Candidate (1972) – Starring a young Robert Redford as the title character. Great film. Feels almost like a documentary at times. Saying it still feels relevant today would be an understatement. Very cynical. IMDb | TCM
The Farmer’s Daughter (1947) – much lighter fare than the others above. Loretta Young (who won an Oscar for her role) is a Swedish immigrant who works as a maid in a congressman’s (Joseph Cotten) household. Obligatory romance ensues. Oh and by the way, she ends up running for Congress. Quite an enjoyable film. Though sadly, also not on DVD. Luckily, TCM shows this periodically throughout the year (maybe every other month or so). IMDb | TCM
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