Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore? | |
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Directed by | Frank Popper |
Written by | Frank Popper Matt Coen Mike Kime |
Produced by | Frank Popper Matt Coen Mike Kime |
Starring | Jeff Smith |
Release dates |
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Running time | 82 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore? is a 2006 documentary film directed by Frank Popper, which follows Missouri politician Jeff Smith's 2004 Democratic primary election campaign to the United States House of Representatives after the retirement of Dick Gephardt from his seat. The film follows Smith as he challenges Russ Carnahan, a member of the Carnahan political family and the frontrunner of a crowded Democratic primary, to capture the Democratic nomination for the seat. The movie's title references Frank Capra's 1939 film Mr. Smith Goes to Washington , in which a naive but well-meaning man (named "Jefferson Smith") becomes a Senator and fights the cynical nature of Washington. [1]
The film follows Jeff Smith from inside his campaign during his bid to win the Democratic primary for the House seat of Representative Dick Gephardt, who announced his retirement. [2] Smith, a 29-year-old teacher with no political experience, decided to run for the seat against 10 other Democratic candidates including Russ Carnahan, a member of the Carnahan political family. [1] He was instantly dismissed by pundits who saw him as a no-name candidate due to his lack of political expertise and the presence of a Carnahan in the race. [1]
Smith's campaign begins to gain more support as he mobilizes a large grassroots political campaign. [1] He earns the endorsement of Howard Dean at one of his speaking events, and his campaign cuts into Carnahan's initial 30-point lead. [1] Smith, however, loses the campaign by fewer than 2,000 votes.
Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore? earned mostly positive reviews from critics; it received an 83% based on 12 reviews at Rotten Tomatoes, and the film won the Audience Award at the 2006 Silverdocs Documentary Festival. [3] [4]
The Washington Post 's Ann Horaday felt that it was a, "funny, engrossing and affectionate documentary." [2] The Boston Globe 's Janice Page noted that the movie restored the viewer's faith in democracy, even if Jeff Smith failed to win the seat. [1] Kevin Crust of the Los Angeles Times praised the movie: "... [the film] captures ground-level political machinations in an utterly fascinating way." [5]
In August 2009, Jeff Smith pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a year and a day in prison for his involvement in federal election law violations (committed during the congressional campaign depicted in the film) and the subsequent coverup. [6]
John David Ashcroft is an American lawyer, lobbyist, and former politician who served as the United States Attorney General in the George W. Bush administration from 2001 to 2005. He previously held various positions in Missouri politics; as Auditor of Missouri (1973–1975), Attorney General of Missouri (1976–1985), Governor of Missouri (1985–1993), and as a United States Senator representing Missouri (1995–2001). He later founded The Ashcroft Group, a Washington D.C. lobbying firm.
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is a 1939 American lighthearted political satire film directed by Frank Capra, starring Jean Arthur and James Stewart, and featuring Claude Rains and Edward Arnold. The film is about a naive, newly appointed United States senator who fights against government corruption, and was written by Sidney Buchman, based on Lewis R. Foster's unpublished story "The Gentleman from Montana". It was loosely based on the life of Montana US Senator Burton Wheeler, who underwent a similar experience when he was investigating the Warren Harding administration.
Richard Andrew Gephardt is an American attorney, lobbyist, and politician who represented Missouri's 3rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1977 to 2005. A member of the Democratic Party, he was House majority leader from 1989 to 1995 and minority leader from 1995 to 2003. He ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in 1988 and 2004. Gephardt was mentioned as a possible vice presidential nominee in 1988, 1992, 2000, 2004, and 2008.
Melvin Eugene Carnahan was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 51st governor of Missouri from 1993 until his death in 2000. Carnahan was a Democrat and held various positions in government.
Jean Anne Carnahan was an American politician and writer who was the First Lady of Missouri from 1993 to 2000, and served as the state's junior United States senator from 2001 to 2002. A Democrat, she was appointed to fill the Senate seat of her husband Mel Carnahan, who had been posthumously elected after his death in October, becoming the first woman to represent Missouri in the U.S. Senate.
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Jeff Smith is an American politician who served as a member of the Missouri Senate, representing the 4th district from 2007 until 2009. His district covered the western portion of the City of St. Louis.
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