MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (1939)

Directed by: Frank Capra
Written by: Sidney Buchman
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Starring: James Stewart, Jean Arthur, Claude Rains
Rated: Not Rated

About the film:
An idealistic Boy Ranger leader is appointed to the US senate and comes face to face with political corruption. With the help of his cynical assistant, he stages a filibuster to stop a bill which will destroy the dreams of thousands of boys.

Movie Quote:
“Great principles don’t get lost once they come to light. They’re right here; you just have to see them again.”
Jefferson Davis Smith (James Stewart) in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

Bible Quote:
“The secret things belong to the Lord our God; but the things revealed belong unto us and to our children forever; that we may follow all the words of this law.”
Deuteronomy 29:29 (NIV)

Commentary:
Bless his heart, Jefferson Davis Smith may be an idealist but his ideals are sound and pure. His words could have come straight from the scriptures.

Truth is a constant. It doesn’t ebb and flow. It isn’t here one minute and gone the next. Truth doesn’t get lost… people do.

To help people who are lost (spiritually, emotionally, and morally) God has given us access to the knowledge of the ages. It is knowledge which has been handed down from generation to generation over many centuries. We have access to this knowledge because once given to man by God, it belongs to us and our children. It has been available to every man, woman, and child since God first revealed it.

The principles by which God wants us to frame our doings are the same ones Jesus Christ followed when he walked the earth. They are as valid and as effective now as they were then. This is because they are backed by the same power and promise of the God who first created them.

God’s great principles or truths have not been lost. They are in the same place they always were… in the hearts and minds of men and women who love Him.

Questions to consider while watching the film:
1. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is a wonderful tale about one man who tries to fight “the system.” What biblical stories focus around that same theme?
2. Moral integrity is a quality much to be admired. It is also easy to lose. How did Smith manage to hold onto his integrity? What can we learn from him that might strengthen our resolve to do the same?

Michael Elliott
http://screensermon.blogspot.com