You Can't Take It With You [DVD] [2003]

When people think of Frank Capra the film that normally pops into their head is "It's a Wonderful Life". Capra however made many wonderful films and none better than this made during his most productive period.You Can't Take it With You gained Capra his third and final Oscar as best Director. It's a Wonderful Life made eight years later gained him a nomination but he lost out to William Wyler for "The Best Years of Our Lives".You Can't Take it With You is funny, touching, beautifully acted by a sumptuous ensemble cast and above all it espouses the sort of values that many of us wish we could live by but rarely do. It's a film that transcends the ages, I watched it recently with my elderly parents, aged 85 & 87 and my grandson, aged 13. We all laughed, cried and enjoyed every minute of it. If you get an opportunity then see this film, it will leave you feeling that the world isn't such a bad place after all.

Sound and picture quality are not brilliant but acceptable. Apart from that, the preachiness which is always part of the classic Capras isn't really kept in check here and has to count as a failing. There are times when it seems as if it's going to be a real indictment of rapacious capitalism but it can't quite bring itself to be that because apart from the background bankers surrounding the great Edward Arnold's Kirby pere, and the few dodgy cops on the make, it's determined to believe there's good in everybody. And what's wrong with that, I suppose. However, there are other issues including an uneven peformance from James Stewart: one minute cookie, another knowing, another lovelorn and another trying for the poignant. The fault is probably not all his. Jean Arthur tries hard. Lionel Barrymore holds it together and there are some great moments such as the courtroom scene where the judge is a real old Capracorny guy and worth praise - he and Lionel would clearly have hit it off. You can't really not like it but it has dated worse than the other big Capras and there is still the failure to have the black servants sitting around the table at dinner - though they are allowed to inhabit the same room for some of the time. That would have been the leap of faith which really would have given it some social conscience - they must have discussed it and decided, no, they can stay in the kitchen when it comes to sitting down to celebrate.

See my Deana Durbin review. The story may be different but it applies for this one two and it was always the flyers that sold the film. No matter how good or bad they were we loved them. We talked about them, we fell in love with the heroes and heroins. The strength of the men and the woman and the humour of both the American and English film. We couldn't get enough of them. We loved the main film, the B film with them and the break when we had the ladies coming in with the ice creams. Such fun. The film? Excellent. Just look at the cast. Read their histories. Enjoy.

A heart-warming film made the old-fashioned way. Using a few of the same actors from It's A Wonderful Life, not surprising being a Frank Capra film, it spans the divide between rich and poor to show how much in common they have. It's funny, witty, sad and well acted. A great film for in any collection for those who like the oldies as well as the new.

The theme is philosophical 'little guy' and family copes with robber-baron businessman. Lots of funny episodes and fun to watch. About two hours long, I think. The isolationist remark that America doesn't need battleships would not sound funny three years later in 1942.

I bought this as a Christmas present. I have never seen it, but my friend loves it. So rating it is difficult!!

This is a great Sunday matinee movie, which is recommended for all the family, that's if you like a good old black & white. At first I found the movie a bit slow, but once it reached a scene in the middle of the movie where it all start making sense, it turned out to be a really great movie. You will have to watch it to know what I'm talking about.

This is a great film. However, the CD is of poor quality. It kept sticking on frames and jumping between frames.