A critique of the film; You Can't Take It With You could start with the character Poppins ( wonderfully played by Donald Meek) who is the culminated end product of The Wealth of Nations originally initiated by the celebrated Scottish philosopher Adam Smith. (B. 16 June 1723 D.17 July 1790) That is the capitalist's Utopia of the spread of wealth. When this wealth spreads, its gravitational pull ends with a man performing a mundane task for a pay cheque that ties him there. Ironically, Poppins is counting the wealth of his rich, miserly boss. As such Poppins is the extrapolation of Charles Dickens' Scrooge's hand found in the Auther's classic, Christmas Carol fable.
This causes Poppins to rebel against his mundane life by creating innovative toys in his spare time. The problem is such innovation and creativity are hampered from reaching their full potential by his miserable job, which he feels he must do to pay the bills. That is until Grandpa turns up and (Lionel Barrymore) shows him the light.
Grandpa invites Poppins to live with him and his family who are living the 'utopian' dream, full of creative bohemians. All are really a bunch of 'freeloaders' dependent on Grandpa. Likewise, Grandpa is dependent on his tenants who rent properties on his estate, for his income. Therefore Grandpa is similar to his nemeses Anthony P. Kirby (Edward Arnald). The difference lies in how their wealth is spread and the purposes it is used for. Where the latter wants to use his to accumulate more wealth, the former wants his to live a bohemian lifestyle in a type of pre-hippie era commune.
Apart from these differences, Grandpa and Kirby both like power of sorts. Where Kirby gains his through the accumulation of wealth, Grandpa gains his through utilising his charisma and the propagation of his ideals. The mens' differences lead to a confrontation where one tries to undermine the other with their own specialised brand of power, one being charm, the other money.
The power that winds up winning is Grandpa's as his is sentimental and appealing, and none threatening in an obvious way. It is further irony that Grandpa rejects the power of Bolchavic communism, Italian fascism and Amercan capitalism only to have amassed such power himself. But Grandpa's power is that of humanity, which prevails and triumphs in a predictive ending.
This film could have influence Orsen Welles' Citizen Cain (1941) as it deals with the detachment from reality and humanity that obscene wealth brings. Nevertheless the film is quintessentially Capra. Its sentimental persona belies its more complex multi-layered story of power, corruption, humanity, greed and value systems.
Overall You Can't Take It With You is deeply political which makes it controversial. Nevertheless, this is a great film, with a great scrip, production, direction and acting from a brilliant cast.
This causes Poppins to rebel against his mundane life by creating innovative toys in his spare time. The problem is such innovation and creativity are hampered from reaching their full potential by his miserable job, which he feels he must do to pay the bills. That is until Grandpa turns up and (Lionel Barrymore) shows him the light.
Grandpa invites Poppins to live with him and his family who are living the 'utopian' dream, full of creative bohemians. All are really a bunch of 'freeloaders' dependent on Grandpa. Likewise, Grandpa is dependent on his tenants who rent properties on his estate, for his income. Therefore Grandpa is similar to his nemeses Anthony P. Kirby (Edward Arnald). The difference lies in how their wealth is spread and the purposes it is used for. Where the latter wants to use his to accumulate more wealth, the former wants his to live a bohemian lifestyle in a type of pre-hippie era commune.
Apart from these differences, Grandpa and Kirby both like power of sorts. Where Kirby gains his through the accumulation of wealth, Grandpa gains his through utilising his charisma and the propagation of his ideals. The mens' differences lead to a confrontation where one tries to undermine the other with their own specialised brand of power, one being charm, the other money.
The power that winds up winning is Grandpa's as his is sentimental and appealing, and none threatening in an obvious way. It is further irony that Grandpa rejects the power of Bolchavic communism, Italian fascism and Amercan capitalism only to have amassed such power himself. But Grandpa's power is that of humanity, which prevails and triumphs in a predictive ending.
This film could have influence Orsen Welles' Citizen Cain (1941) as it deals with the detachment from reality and humanity that obscene wealth brings. Nevertheless the film is quintessentially Capra. Its sentimental persona belies its more complex multi-layered story of power, corruption, humanity, greed and value systems.
Overall You Can't Take It With You is deeply political which makes it controversial. Nevertheless, this is a great film, with a great scrip, production, direction and acting from a brilliant cast.