[Emmy Jackowicz]

As I review my notes from the movie, almost every line seems pointless except the line that I underlined three times: “Lost causes are the only ones worth fighting for.”  It is easy to finish watching this movie and think that America is awful, corrupt and filled with selfish, greedy men.  It is harder to finish this movie and think that America is/was in fact one of these “lost causes” Jeff Smith speaks about and believes in.

This movie represents a past America, but it is still an accurate picture of today.  Smith says to Saunders, “…boys forget what their country means by just reading The Land of the Free in history books.  Then they get to be men, and then forget even more. Liberty’s too precious of a thing to be buried in books…men should hold it up in front of them every single day of their lives and say: I’m free to think and to speak.  My ancestors couldn’t, I can, and my children will. Boys ought to grow up remembering that.”  America, as well as other countries, went through history in the position of a lost cause in some sense or another, grand or minute.  Smith speaks of a time when men didn’t have their right to freely think and speak, but someone believed in the lost cause of Liberty, and fought for thy neighbor’s right to freedom.

Instead of banning this movie from viewers outside of our country, I’m playing the devil’s advocate and think it should have been advertised to them.  Yes, it shows the corruption of our country, but corruption exists everywhere, whether it’s identified or not.  “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” depicts the good men of America too, the ones who believe in fighting for the justice of their country; the ones who condemn the ones who have done wrong with dignity and patriotism.

“(Lost causes are) the only causes worth fighting for and he fought for them once. For the only reason any man ever fights for them. Because of just one plain simple rule: Love thy neighbor.”  If we can show the world that America can love thy neighbor and recognize that this is a prerogative to bringing justice to our country, then I believe it deserves to be shared.

• This topic was modified 12 years, 7 months ago by Emmy Jackowicz.

[Hannah Glaser]

I absolutely agree with your position that this movie should have been promoted by the U.S.  I think the overall message comes across as honest and sincere; there is no perfect form of government, but even a single voice, if strong and enduring enough, can shed light on corruption and hold the institution to a higher standard. “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” would have been received by other nations as a conscientious appeal to all peoples to defend their most basic moral values (in this case “love thy neighbor”) at all costs.

I also think that the attempt to keep this film from becoming popular was a dangerous choice on the government’s part. Trying to hide or divert attention from a film including corruption only reinforces the idea of government corruption and media control (such as the monopolization of the newspapers by Taylor).

[Cortney Linnecke]

One of the things that threw me off was the ending of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Not necessarily in terms of content, but rather in how abruptly it ended. It cut off immediately after the plot’s climax, right after Mr. Smith collapses and Senator Paine confesses his guilt. While the major conflict of the film had been addressed, most films usually follow through with falling action. For instance, it might have been nice to see Senator Paine face the repercussions of his actions, how Mr. Smith’s town reacted to the truth, if the camp was built, what happened with Saunders, etc. Even though the audience can make assumptions with these sorts of topics, and it is not necessary to show them, most films give the audience more closure. In some ways, however, this sudden ending worked–for example, it amped up the drama of the final scene, and really helped emphasize the film’s focus on politics and ethics (as opposed to, say, the romantic aspect of the story)–so ultimately I don’t think the ending’s abruptness completely detracts from the film as a whole.

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