Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Frank Capra’s 1939 classic remains one of cinema’s most stirring celebrations of American idealism, and one of its most sobering meditations on the cost of standing up for it. Jimmy Stewart stars as Jefferson Smith, an earnest small-town leader unexpectedly appointed to the U.S. Senate. Naïve but full of heart, Smith arrives in Washington believing in democracy’s noblest ideals, only to find corruption and cynicism at every turn.

When he discovers that his political mentors are part of a crooked land deal, Smith takes a stand that culminates in one of film’s most famous scenes: a marathon filibuster on the Senate floor. Stewart’s performance anchors Capra’s sweeping vision of conscience versus compromise.

A rousing blend of sentiment, satire, and civic faith, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is a timeless reminder that even one voice, speaking truth with conviction, can shake the halls of power.