You Can't Take it With You - The Oscar Project Part XI

Finally, the Oscar Project continues. I realize I have been away for a while but I am determined to continue this mission no matter what. This week you can look forward to my take on the Golden Globe nominations, my review of "Black Swan" and my year end pop culture awards. But first the Oscar project continues with the Frank Capra classic "You Can't Take it With You."

The plot focuses on two families. One that is centered on being wealthy and another that centers around being happy. Since the movie is a comedy, when the two families come together, hilarity ensues. In the film, the Kirby family head, Anthony, played by Edward Arnold, is attempting to purchase the house of the Sycamore family so that he can have a monopoly over an entire city block. The Sycamore family is made up of anyone who wants to live there and wants to be a free spirit. The only one that would be considered "normal" is the daughter Alice, played by Jean Arthur, who falls in love with the son of Anthony, Tony Kirby, played by James Stewart. Over the course of the movie several misunderstandings occur between the two families and by the end the Kirby's have learned that it's more important to be happy with what you do then to be rich.

The film represents Frank Capra's third Oscar for Best Director in a period of 5 years. This is hardly a surprise as Capra was a master at telling stories that make people realize that they can be happy without a lot of money. A theme that would be very popular during the great depression. He is a terrific director and this movie shows it. He crafts shots in such a way so that just by looking at the screen, without any characters, the audience knows the type of family that they are dealing with.

It also helps that the movie is full of powerhouse actors that are all capable of handling a wide range of emotions. Jean Arthur and Jimmy Stewart portray a young couple in love perfectly and then when Stewart has to let go and be a free spirit he takes it to another level perfectly. Later in the film the two have to portray even more emotion when they are split apart. While this story occurs we also get the insanity of the Sycamore family, led by Lionel Barrymore who plays one of the sweetest old grandfathers ever and is a comic genius.

Overall this is a great feel good movie, and while it doesn't really have anything to do with Christmas, if you are looking for a feel good movie and you are tired of "It's a Wonderful Life" you can't go wrong here. It gets 4.5 out of 5 stars.