Open forum question from itstartedwithawindmill:

Is the modern viewing audience too cynical for Capra-esque movies? I just wrote one and wonder if I’m battling yet another windmill. The script got some interest from a producer, but I really doubt that I’ll get any feedback.

First off, let’s look at what “Capra-esque movies” might mean. I just typed that phrase into Google and here are some of the descriptors that popped up:

Old-fashioned

Feel good

Throwback

Kinder bygone era

Sentimental

There’s also some clearly derogatory associations like:

Movie schmaltz

Manipulative

[It's interesting that the one movie that pops up most often in Google when you type in "Capra-esque" is The Majestic.]

But I confess that I have a problem with this take. First, if the reference is meant to indicate “old-fashioned” or “throwback,” what about Preston Sturges, Ernst Lubitsch, William Wyler? Aren’t their movies by definition “old-fashioned” because, well, they’re old?

But my main problem is this idea that Frank Capra movies are somehow sweet, schmaltzy, and sentimental. Let’s consider some of the key Capra movies:

It Happened One Night (1934) — Robert Riskin (screenplay) — #145 in IMDB top 250 movies

Ellie Andrews has just tied the knot with society aviator King Westley when she is whisked away to her father’s yacht and out of King’s clutches. Ellie jumps ship and eventually winds up on a bus headed back to her husband. Reluctantly she must accept the help of out-of- work reporter Peter Warne. Actually, Warne doesn’t give her any choice: either she sticks with him until he gets her back to her husband, or he’ll blow the whistle on Ellie to her father. Either way, Peter gets what (he thinks!) he wants …. a really juicy newspaper story. [IMDB]

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) — Robert Riskin (screenplay)

Longfellow Deeds lives in a small town, leading a small town kind of life – including playing the tuba in the town band. When a relative dies and leaves Deeds a fortune, Longfellow picks up his tuba and moves to the big city where he becomes an instant target for everyone from the greedy opera committee to the sensationalist daily newspaper. Deeds outwits them all until Babe Bennett comes along. Babe is a hot-shot reporter who figures the best way to get close to Deeds is to pose as a damsel in distress. When small-town boy meets big-city girl anything can, and does, happen. [IMDB]

Both of these tilt more toward screwball comedy. There is a common theme: Cynical, driven reporters ‘transformed’ by a Attractor figure. Sentimental? That transformative dynamic is at the core of virtually every rom-com, so wouldn’t they all be ‘guilty’ of being sentimental?

What about these three well-known Capra movies:

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) — Sidney Buchman (screenplay) –#111 in IMDB top 250 movies

Naive and idealistic Jefferson Smith, leader of the Boy Rangers, is appointed on a lark by the spineless governor of his state. He is reunited with the state’s senior senator–presidential hopeful and childhood hero, Senator Joseph Paine. In Washington, however, Smith discovers many of the shortcomings of the political process as his earnest goal of a national boys’ camp leads to a conflict with the state political boss, Jim Taylor. Taylor first tries to corrupt Smith and then later attempts to destroy Smith through a scandal. [IMDB]

Meet John Doe (1941) — Robert Riskin (screenplay)

As a parting shot, fired reporter Ann Mitchell prints a fake letter from unemployed “John Doe,” who threatens suicide in protest of social ills. The paper is forced to rehire Ann and hires John Willoughby to impersonate “Doe.” Ann and her bosses cynically milk the story for all it’s worth, until the made-up “John Doe” philosophy starts a whole political movement. At last everyone, even Ann, takes her creation seriously…but publisher D.B. Norton has a secret plan. [IMDB]

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) — Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett, and Frank Capra (screenplay) — #30 in IMDB top 250 movies

On Christmas eve, all of the citizens of the small town of Bedford Falls pray to the heavens to help George Bailey. It’s then decided that Clarence, an angel who hasn’t earned his wings, is to help George. Before he does, he should know who George Bailey was. George Bailey grew up in Bedford Falls, a small town where he dreams of leaving it and making his mark on the world. His family’s business is the only thing stands between the good citizens and Mr. Potter, a rich miser who takes sick pleasure in taking from everybody, without even caring how it affects them. George was all set to leave when his father died and had to take care of the business. George would forever be hindered by his plans to leave and thinks that he is nothing but a failure, he decides to kill himself. That’s when Clarence comes in and tries to convince him that he has made something with his life, and that he had a “Wonderful Life”. [IMDB]

Let’s see. Corruption, power-mongering, greed, unemployment, despair, suicide, cynicism. Yep, sure sounds like a bunch of sentimental hokum to me!

Each of these three stories involves a Protagonist with high ideals, who experiences the brutality of their idealism being crushed by the Powers That Be, then having the ‘people’ come through — common folks, the masses — thereby proving right the Protagonist’s belief in the fundamental goodness of humanity.

So is that perhaps what people mean by “Capra-esque”? Movies whose stories are founded on the conceit that people are by and large good? And circling back to itstartedwithawindmill’s question — is the modern audience too “cynical” to want to see movies with that conceit at their core?

Hm. Wasn’t there this little movie that came out summer 2008 called The Dark Knight that had as a central theme the question of whether the people of Gotham City – and by extension humanity itself – were fundamentally altruistic and good or fundamentally self-serving and bad? In fact, wasn’t one of the most pivotal scenes in the movie a test Joker set up – rigging two boats with explosives, one loaded with ‘good’ people (Gotham City citizens), one loaded with ‘bad’ people (prisoners) – giving either of those groups the power to blow up the other boat. And not only did the ‘good’ people not take Joker’s bait, neither did the ‘bad’ people. Indeed as Batman and Joker are struggling there’s this exchange (P. 130):

JOKER
If we don’t stop fighting, we’re
going to miss the fireworks.

BATMAN
There won’t be any fireworks.

There won’t be any fireworks. Sounds just like the Protagonist from a Capra movie about to have his faith in the goodness of humanity proved correct.

So consider this my long-winded answer to your question: No, I don’t think Hollywood is too “cynical” for any of the type of Capra-directed movies noted above. As long as they’re emotionally real, the characters are compelling, and the story concept is honest, not some melodramatic, overly sentimental take on reality, then there is room for those type of scripts (assuming, of course, that they’re great scripts).

BTW, isn’t it interesting to note that 3 of the 5 movies highlighted above are in the top 250 favorite films of IMDB voters? So the next time someone says, “I’m not so sure about your Capra-esque script,” try this response: “Oh, by Capra-esque, you mean hugely popular with moviegoers?”

Finally re the producer who gave your script “some interest”: That’s enough for you to be able to follow up with them and find out where things stand. Even if they pass, the fact that there was any degree of interest in the script suggests there might be other producers who might find it of interest.

GITS readers: What’s your take on Capra-esque movies? And do you think we live in too cynical of an age for such movies to work?