Y is for You Cant Take It ...

 A  TO Z Challenge 2023

A Month At The Movies

This year I am copying from a myriad of other A to Z  challengers by reprinting the same synopsis about my theme with every letter.  You can skip over this part if you want to.  

I love movies and have decided to share with you a movie each day that I have enjoyed to one degree or another.  With each entry, I'll give a brief synopsis of the film, share a positive and negative review from Rotten Tomatoes ( a website, I didn't use much at all until preparing for the challenge), discuss its resiliency (the theme of the A to Z challenge this year), and other tidbits like whether the film may appear in my top 100 film list, which I have been revamping this year. I think that's enough in the way of introduction, considering you'll be reading it (hopefully) 1  more time this month.

Film: You Can't Take It With You (1938)

Director: Frank Capra

You Can't Take It With You is your standard issue 1930's screwball comedy with the Frank Capra touch.  The below video does a great job in 9 minutes of recapping and reviewing the film.

The son of a Wall Street banker falls in love with the granddaughter of the person blocking the banker's money-making scheme.  Stars Edward Arnold, Lionel Barrymore, Jimmy Stewart and Jean Arthur.

Positive Tomato: It's one of the most amusing and satisfying pictures to be seen in months, and certain to be an enormous hit with audiences. Edwin Schallert - Los Angeles Times

Negative Tomato: It may be disappointment that any Frank Capra comedy should be heavy and overdone which makes You Can't Take It with You seem such a dud. Otis Ferguson - The New Republic

Resiliency: You Can't Take it with you is the oldest movie on this list.  It is celebrating its 85th anniversary this year. That its themes would still resonate with audiences today shows how resilient film can be.  

Top 100: This is one of those movies that I would tell you I think it would be my the top 100 and then wind up with 125+ films on my list.  It is definitely worthy of consideration and may end up making my actual list.  

A to Z Connection:  This is the third film featuring my favorite director Frank Capra in the challenge along with Arsenic and Old Lace and It's A Wonderful Life.  It is also the 3rd film featuring my favorite actor Jimmy Stewart (It's A Wonderful Life and Vertigo).  Speaking of 3s, it is the third film along with the aforementioned Arsenic and Old Lace and A Man For All Seasons to be adapted from a broadway play. This is the 5th and final Academy Award winner for Best Picture on my list.  The other 4 are A Man For All Seasons, Chariots of Fire, Ordinary People, and The Kings Speech.  The Kings Speech has also been produced on Broadway, but in this case, the play was adapted from the film, not vice-versa.

Next Time: Zoo-Dun-It?