Welcome back to Washingtonian’s inaugural movie bracket. This is the final quadrant of the second round, in which we thin out the group of films about wide-eyed saps who come to town in hopes of fixing whatever ails the nation—mostly, that means Jefferson Smith and his cinematic descendants. Speaking of Frank Capra’s senatorial pipe dream, it was obvious before this started that Mr. Smith Goes to Washington would cut through its first opponent like a buzzsaw. The 1939 staple about a hayseed who prevents a critical bridge project from being built in his home state absolutely crushed Advise and Consent, a 1962 political thriller that tried to cast Richard Nixon to play a modestly fictional vice president.
Remember, no matter how “classic” film historians tell you that filibuster scene is, Washington—and the nation at large—today face crumbling infrastructure. The American Society of Civil Engineers 2013 report card gave the country’s bridges a C+, and found that the District alone is home to 21 structrually deficient bridges. Thanks a lot, Jimmy Stewart. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington next faces Armando Iannucci’s wonderfully dyspeptic In the Loop, which trumped Philomena. If only Malcolm Tucker ever crossed paths with Jefferson Smith.
Elsewhere in the first round of the “Blind Ambition” group, top seed Being There won a surprisingly close match J. Edgar, which featured the worst prosthetic effects in any Clint Eastwood film, at least until American Sniper‘s rubber baby. Broadcast News, perhaps aided by recent interest in television newspeople who embellish their credentials, edged out the peppy Legally Blonde 2; the timeless Brat Pack romp St. Elmo’s Fire knocked out reincarnation rom-com Chances Are; 1950’s Born Yesterday trounced 2009’s disastrous How Do You Know; and, rather amazingly, the little-seen Petey Green biopic Talk to Me slipped past the bros of Wedding Crashers. Perhaps the most upsetting result was the triumph of feel-good Alexandria football story Remember the Titans over the 1943 farce The More the Merrier, which could not survive merely on Washington Post writer Dan Zak’s enthusiasm.
1. “Nixon” beating “Dick” = bullsh*t. 2. “The Contender”? 3. “More the Merrier” = A+ 4. The winner is “Being There.” http://t.co/l2KFz0YGKM
In the second round, it’ll be Being There and Remember the Titans, Broadcast News and St. Elmo’s Fire, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and In the Loop, and Born Yesterday versus Talk to Me. Polls close Sunday, March 15, at 11:59 PM.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
Most Washington Movie Ever: The Blind Ambition Quadrant, Round 2
What will happen when Jefferson Smith meets Malcolm Tucker? Vote now to find out!
Welcome back to Washingtonian’s inaugural movie bracket. This is the final quadrant of the second round, in which we thin out the group of films about wide-eyed saps who come to town in hopes of fixing whatever ails the nation—mostly, that means Jefferson Smith and his cinematic descendants. Speaking of Frank Capra’s senatorial pipe dream, it was obvious before this started that Mr. Smith Goes to Washington would cut through its first opponent like a buzzsaw. The 1939 staple about a hayseed who prevents a critical bridge project from being built in his home state absolutely crushed Advise and Consent, a 1962 political thriller that tried to cast Richard Nixon to play a modestly fictional vice president.
Remember, no matter how “classic” film historians tell you that filibuster scene is, Washington—and the nation at large—today face crumbling infrastructure. The American Society of Civil Engineers 2013 report card gave the country’s bridges a C+, and found that the District alone is home to 21 structrually deficient bridges. Thanks a lot, Jimmy Stewart. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington next faces Armando Iannucci’s wonderfully dyspeptic In the Loop, which trumped Philomena. If only Malcolm Tucker ever crossed paths with Jefferson Smith.
Elsewhere in the first round of the “Blind Ambition” group, top seed Being There won a surprisingly close match J. Edgar, which featured the worst prosthetic effects in any Clint Eastwood film, at least until American Sniper‘s rubber baby. Broadcast News, perhaps aided by recent interest in television newspeople who embellish their credentials, edged out the peppy Legally Blonde 2; the timeless Brat Pack romp St. Elmo’s Fire knocked out reincarnation rom-com Chances Are; 1950’s Born Yesterday trounced 2009’s disastrous How Do You Know; and, rather amazingly, the little-seen Petey Green biopic Talk to Me slipped past the bros of Wedding Crashers. Perhaps the most upsetting result was the triumph of feel-good Alexandria football story Remember the Titans over the 1943 farce The More the Merrier, which could not survive merely on Washington Post writer Dan Zak’s enthusiasm.
In the second round, it’ll be Being There and Remember the Titans, Broadcast News and St. Elmo’s Fire, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and In the Loop, and Born Yesterday versus Talk to Me. Polls close Sunday, March 15, at 11:59 PM.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
Most Popular in News & Politics
Every Bus Line in DC Is Changing This Weekend. Here’s What to Know.
8 Takeaways From Usha Vance’s Interview With Meghan McCain
Yet Another Anti-Trump Statue Has Shown Up on the National Mall
Another Mysterious Anti-Trump Statue Has Appeared on the National Mall
A Cult Classic of Cannabis Brands Is Making Its DC Debut
Washingtonian Magazine
July Issue: The "Best Of" Issue
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
How Would a New DC Stadium Compare to the Last One?
The Culture of Lacrosse Is More Complex Than People Think
Did Television Begin in Dupont Circle?
Kings Dominion’s Wild New Coaster Takes Flight in Virginia
More from News & Politics
Speaker Johnson’s Megabill Prayers Likely to Be Answered Before Holiday Weekend, Wrongly Deported Maryland Man Faced Abuse in El Salvador Prison, and We Found Some Yummy Nepalese Food
Pardoned J6er Will Join Ed Martin’s Justice Department Office, Trump Outlines Hypothetical Alligator Escape Plan, and We Have Fireworks Show Recommendations
The “World’s Largest Outdoor Museum” Is Coming to DC. Here’s a Preview.
A Cult Classic of Cannabis Brands Is Making Its DC Debut
The Commanders Wine and Dine DC Council Members; GOP Senator Suggests Tax Language Was “Airdropped” Into Spending Bill; and Trump Wants DOGE to Investigate Musk
100 Reasons to Love DC Right Now
How DC’s Attorney General Got So Good at Double Dutch
DC Council Ponders New Way to Expel Trayon White, the GOP’s Budget Bill Advances, and We Found You Some Tacos With Ethiopian Flair