<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>First off, even though I am not one for politics and this will not be an overwhelming part of my post, I don’t think I could respond to this film without at least briefly addressing the parallels between the political situation in this movie and the political situation in the United States today. The appointment of Jeff Smith was described as “political surprise”, much like many individuals would modestly describe the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States. I also believe that it is a more than fair assertion to say that both men were relatively unequip to take on their rather important political positions; the commonality being a lack of political experience. However, aside from these two things, the Donald Trump and Jeff Smith are vastly different characters. An example that I refer to is, while somewhat reluctantly accepting his nomination, Mr. Smith states that he “will do nothing to disgrace the office of US senator” and he kept true to this sentiment throughout the film. Donald Trump on the other hand, well you can take your pick. I’m not looking to spark a political debate here, I am just offering a comparison and inviting other opinions. </span>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>The thing that I mainly want to focus on in this post is the contrast between the way that children viewed Mr. Smith and the way that the adults in the film view him. For the majority of the film, the number of adults who were a fan of, or even approved of Mr. Smith were very slim. The seemingly widespread belief was that Mr. Smith was the wrong person for the job and that he would be unsuccessful in the position. The children on the other hand, specifically the Governor’s four young boys who first plead the case to appoint Mr. Smith as senator, believed in him right from the start. The Boy Rangers knew very early on that Mr. Smith was exactly the kind of hero that could go on to do important things in Washington. Children are generally characterized as naive and lacking in worldly knowledge, but is that really true? Children have a very keen eye, almost an instinct when it comes to assessing the character of an individual. One scene that stands out to me was when Mr. Smith was accused of profiting from his bill and all of the boys took off their Boy Ranger pins and threw them in the garbage. Upon a little bit of reflection, one of the boys reattached the pin to the back of his lapel and showed it to Mr. Smith. This acted as almost a symbol that despite what may be going on outside, the heart of a child is still always in the right place. </span>
<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Why is it that adults are so quick to judge others and come to hastily conclusions while children are able to look past exterior influences and see the inner being of a person? Why does it take most of the adults in the film the entire course of events portrayed to confirm what young boys were able to articulate from one of the earliest scenes? I have many ideas running through my head as to the answer to this question, but one that seems to fit the context of this story the best is the idea that adults have obligations and responsibilities that stem from personal experiences. Our experiences affect and jade us in a way that we are unable to recognize. At the conclusion of the film, Mr. Paine becomes overwhelmed and is forced to confirm everything that Mr. Smith has been saying during his filibuster; thus discrediting the statements in support of Mr. Taylor, whom tightly pulled on the strings of every career choice that Mr. Paine has and will ever make. The situation of Mr. Paine is an exaggerated portrayal of the position that many individuals find themselves in due to the pressures and demands of life itself. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Mr. Smith is acting for outside forces as well. He is acting for the young boys that he has become a role model for. Even if it is sublime, we all have some obligations that sway our outlook and more importantly our actions; given a particular situation that might be viewed as positive or negative. </span>
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