Man With A Movie List

 Director: Frank Capra Year: 1946 - I don't have too much to add to what is probably one of the most over-analyzed films in history, but I can see that seen outside of its usual Christmas context, it's still a remarkably well-made film. There are a few films out there can survive being so hopelessly sentimental, but this is one of them, and that's a testament to just how well each scene works. If you're new to the film, then the slow build-up isn't going to mean much, but for old veterans each scene just works better and better. I still find it remarkable that everything the film is most well-known for (and most parodied for) happens in the last third of the film. But the enduring premise of a man who never got to the live he wanted but still mattered deeply to his community will always hit home for me. This film is just going to keep getting better.

Director: Frank Capra Year: 1934 Run-time: 1 hr 45 min - This is one of those movies that I could watch any day.  The romance isn't the most interesting thing about it. It's the premise of a high-class socialite (and a fast-talking newspaper man) getting a taste of real America via a cheap road trip, an idea which translates well to modern times.  This is the kind of America that's easy to be nostalgic for, if it ever really existed: a land of camp fire songs, and sleeping in hay bales, and taking the bus.  Gable's character is one of screwball's best, with his fast talk and left-field plans.  But Claudette Colbert holds her own against him. Clare and I loved it.