Mr. Deeds Goes to Town

Starring: Gary Cooper, Jean Arthur, George Bancroft, Lionel Stander, Douglass Dumbrille, H.B. Warner
Directed by: Frank Capra
Rating: Approved
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
1936

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: An average guy (Gary Cooper) learns an uncle has left him $20 million. He travels to New York City to pick it up, where his small town philosophy clashes with the big city.

Review:

Tim: Mr. Deeds Goes to Town is a classic comedy. It won Frank Capra the Academy Award for Best Director and is fairly influential. I enjoyed the movie and would consider it very strong, but I probably take a slightly less favorable view than many people. It's certainly a well made movie, but I didn't quite love it.

What bothered me about the movie is that it felt up-and-down to me. There are some truly incredible, memorable scenes. There were many parts of this movie that showcased Frank Capra's genius- I sat there riveted, gleefully watching a genius at work. However, there were other stretches of the film that just felt flat and a bit dull. I felt my patience and my focus waning. This is probably the biggest reason I didn't love the movie- it does feature tremendous moments, but there's too many lulls. That detracted from the viewing experience, pulled me out of the story and had me checking my watch.

Now that we have my big complaint out of the way, let's get into some of the many positives. Gary Cooper was very, very good in the lead role of Longfellow Deeds. He plays him exceptionally well- he's likable and different enough from the egotistic, selfish New York crowd that he's a constant reminder of small town values. He's funny, cares about people, and all around, is a character for whom we can easily root. I enjoyed his performance. Jean Arthur was very strong as well. She might have delivered my favorite performance of the film. While she has an easier task than Cooper, she still puts forth a ton of effort- she could have mailed it in, but came on really strong. I thought she was quite enjoyable.

This movie does feature many classic moments. The scene where Deeds confronts the snobbish writers in the restaurant is great ("I don't mind!"). The courtroom scene at the end is simply wonderful. The way Deeds discusses the Opera issues is memorable as well. I like when he runs into the garbage can. I could go on- there's all these little incredible moments. The issue is that they're not always connected by equally compelling points.

I do want to give a lot of credit to Frank Capra and writer Robert Riskin. Capra took a romantic dramedy that could have been a lightweight affair and through his expert direction, took it to the next level. It was a little surprising to me that Capra won the Academy Award for Best Director, but with anyone else in that chair, this movie wouldn't have been nearly as good. I also have to give great credit for Robert Riskin for a tremendous script. I love that he invented the word "doodle" for this film, and it's now a word that is part of the collective vernacular in this country.

Make no mistake, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town is an expertly crafted film and an incredibly strong, funny comedy. This is a movie that you need to see.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Sergeant York, Mr. Deeds