Movie Review: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

"Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" is a movie about a man, Jefferson Smith, who becomes senator when Sam Foley, the senator of his state before him, passes away.

The movie starts off when Hubert "Happy" Hooper gets a call in the middle of the night that Sam Foley has died. Since his passing Happy has to come up with a new senator. At first Jim Taylor, Happy's political boss, wants him to choose own Horace Miller. He chooses Miller because Taylor can control his every move and have things run his way. So, Happy suggests to the people Horace Miller but, they say no and that they want Henry Hill. Now, Happy has to make a decision between Hill and Miller. When he is at home and eating dinner with his family his kids suggest Jefferson Smith, the head of the Boy Rangers. At first Happy is against the idea of Smith for senator but, after he tosses a coin and when the coin lands on its side next to a paper with Smith in the headlines, he chooses Smith for senator.

To convince Jim Taylor that Jeff Smith is the best candidate for senator he tells him that he has never been in politics before making Smith like a small puppet for Taylor to control. He agrees with the decision and Smith is appointed to the position of senator. While making his accepting speech Smith tells all the people around him that the finest man that Smith's father ever knew was Joe Paine, the senator he will be working with and that it is an honor to be working with him. When Smith arrives in Washington D.C. he wanders off at one point and the men bringing him to his new office think he is lost when he really is touring D.C. After that the Senate convenes at noon where Jeff Smith joins his first gathering of the Senate.

To keep Smith busy Paine suggests he proposes a bill. Smith's bill that he has come up with Clarissa Sonders, his secretary and aide, is that the Federal Government will loan money to buy some land in his home state where he can build a national boys' camp. Smith plans to buy 200 acres in Willet Creek, which ends up being the same place where Taylor wants to build Willet Creek Dam. To stop Smith's bill Taylor uses Senator Paine to accuse Smith that he using his bill for his own profit. By backing this up he uses fraudulent evidence such as, Smith owns the land and would profit from any sale to him. And when Jefferson Smith runs away after giving the right to defend himself Sonders decides to help him by talking him into filibustering on the Senate floor before they try and expel him.

As, Smith talks people such as, radio hosts and newspaper writers rally around him trying to get his story out there but, Jim Taylor, who is much too power full him, stops all press of this story going to the people of Senator Smith's story. Time rolls on and Jeff still keeps on filibustering but he becomes weaker and weaker by the hour. But, at one point Sonders realizes that Smith has a boy ranger's newspaper. So, she calls up the lady who was working at the boy rangers' house and tells her the story. After that her and the boy rangers at the house work on writing a paper about Smith's story. Once they have printed enough copies they start sending it out to all the people of Smith's town and state but Taylor's men are sent out to stop them and their actions result in vicious attacks against the boy rangers'. But, Paine has one more trick up his sleeve. He brings in bins and bins of letters and telegrams from people of his home state demanding for his removal but after seeing a smile from the President of the Senate he vows to go on. But, immediately after he collapses Senator Paine leaves the room going to attempt suicide. When he was stopped, he burst back into the Senate chamber confessing the whole scheme and confirming Jefferson Smith innocence.