--- title: "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/mr-smith-goes-to-washington/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/mr-smith-goes-to-washington" critics_score: 85 critics_reviews: 9 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939): what the critics said Critics' score 85 from 9 reviews: 9 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. The consensus is firmly positive, with all nine reviews praising the film and James Stewart’s sincerity as the idealistic senator drawing repeated approval. Critics also value Capra’s handling of sentiment and humour, finding that the performances and comic pace give conviction to the patriotic feeling. Praise extends to Jean Arthur and the supporting cast, while Sidney Buchman’s dialogue earns attention for its snap. Several reviews stress how the treatment of political corruption remains relevant. The differences are chiefly about how readily critics accept the optimism, rather than whether the film works. Time Out acknowledges the cornball idealism but finds the fast-talking comedy more than compensates. Paste offers the strongest reservation, questioning the potentially harmful implications of its lone-man-against-the-system story for modern conspiracy thinking, while still finding it good-hearted and enjoyable. Scores occupy a fairly narrow positive range; there is no outright dissent. ## The Hollywood Reporter — THR Staff Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 17 October 2021. The film is another smash hit and an outstanding achievement for Capra and his team. It praises James Stewart's finest performance as the idealistic senator and highlights the strong supporting cast and technical contributions. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/mr-smith-goes-to-washington-1939-review-1235003057/) ## The New Yorker — John C. Mosher Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 14 October 1939. The review highlights Capra's superior showmanship in balancing sentiment and humor through detailed performances and incidents, noting the film's popular appeal, patriotic enthusiasm, and the effective filibuster climax that reestablishes faith in government. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1939/10/21/1939-10-21-089-tny-cards-000055041) ## The New York Times — Frank S. Nugent Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 20 October 1939. The critic calls it one of the best shows of the year and praises Capra's direction, the cogent script, and especially James Stewart's joyful performance as the idealistic senator, along with strong supporting turns from the cast. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1939/10/20/archives/the-screen-in-review-frank-capras-mr-smith-goes-to-washington-at.html) ## Variety — Variety Staff Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 11 October 1939. The review deems it typically Capra—punchy, human, and absorbing—with timely patriotic flavor and dramatic impact, predicting strong box office and praising Stewart's sincerity, Arthur's performance, the script, direction, and production values. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1939/film/reviews/mr-smith-goes-to-washington-frank-capra-1200412404/) ## Empire — David Parkinson Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The critic calls this a prescient political classic whose relevance has only grown. They praise James Stewart's deeply moving performance as the naive senator who exposes corruption. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/mr-smith-goes-washington-review/) ## Time Out Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 16 January 2012. The film is quintessential Capra, with popular wish-fulfilment delivered through fast-talking comic panache that overrides any quibbles about its cornball idealism. Scriptwriter Sidney Buchman’s crackling dialogue gains sharp conviction from the supporting cast including Claude Rains, Jean Arthur and Harry Carey. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/mr-smith-goes-to-washington) ## Collider — Thomas Butt Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 26 October 2024. The critic praises the film's prescient critique of government corruption and its optimistic yet cynical view of one man's fight against the system, highlighting Stewart's performance and Capra's direction. [Read the review](https://collider.com/mr-smith-goes-to-washington-85th-anniversary/) ## /Film — Jessica Mason Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 8 August 2019. The critic sees the film as a powerful, damning statement about political corruption that still resonates today, while remaining hopeful at its core about human decency and the impact of truth. She singles out the film's exploration of media control, information power, and the possibility that one person's sincere appeal can change another's mind. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/568253/mr-smith-goes-to-washington-revisited/) ## Paste — Kenneth Lowe Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 29 November 2020. The critic calls the film fun and darling despite noting a potentially harmful modern narrative around conspiracy claims, emphasizing its good-hearted intent and love for the story of one man against cynical forces. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/mr-smith-goes-to-washington-is-a-fun-darling-movie) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/mr-smith-goes-to-washington.md