La critique de Witney Seibold (fin)

When the families meet, it’s embarrassing. Will the ultra-stuffy rich people ever understand the wild freedoms of the tax-free weirdos? Will the weirdos lose their patience with the ambition of the rich? These interactions play out naturally, comedically, and beautifully sentimentally. The rest of the film is essentially a struggle to reconcile freedom and The Man. Indeed, when one brushes back a few layers, one can easily find a salient comment on notions of American liberty. What is it to be free? Is it the freedom to pursue whatever you want? Perhaps, but how does one do whatever they want when the law may stand in the way? And what of the wealthy, whose freedom seems to surpass yours?

Perhaps this is why You Can’t Take It With You is always a good film to watch in any era: Its setting may be 1938, but its conceits are somehow timeless.You Can’t Take It With You only won two Oscars that year: Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress (Spring Byington played Martin’s ever-strong wife, Penny). It’s also one of the best Best Pictures I have seen so far. It may feel a bit dated, but it’s also still 100% moving and wonderful. It comes from an era when people could make speeches about their ideals, and seem stronger for it. Please see this one. Heck, see any Frank Capra movie. Between this film and 1939’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Capra was on a roll.

 le 2Mai 2014