State of the Union
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Adolphe Menjou, Angela Lansbury, Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Van JohnsonBrand: NBC Universal
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; English (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 124 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-08-22
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Universal Studios
Movie Reviews of State of the Union
Movie Review: Don't call me Nappy!!
Summary: 5 Stars
STATE OF THE UNION (1948, dir. Frank Capra) is one hell of a flick. In fact, I'd say it is hell, for many people in politics. People mistakenly call this a "satire". It is a comic drama, nearly incomparable as to its genre: it is also a political drama (the best one I've ever seen).
One thing that is missed about this sharp, super-advanced film is that it is indeed a Democratic jab at the Republican jugular--in the most satisfying way, by making all the characters slimy, back-shooting Republicans.
Today is November 4, 2010. The House has just gone back into Republican hands and the Democratic Senate is left barely hanging onto its majority. Want to know how all this really works, from the dinky local elections to the primaries?
Watch STATE OF THE UNION--and accept no substitutes.
Spencer Tracy is at his level best playing airplane tycoon Grant Matthews. He gets conned into leaping for the Republican nomination to run in the 1948 election by his lover, Kay Thorndyke (a shocking portrait of evil by a young Angela Lansbury).
Though Matthews starts off right--as a non-politician and regular guy type--he's swept into it as he "catches the bug" for the presidency. His estranged wife Mary (a very lustrous, deep, agonized performance by Katharine Hepburn) re-renters the picture to support him.
I do not have to tell anyone from any walk of life what happens next: all I need to say is this is a hyperrealistic picture of political games, the throwing aside of democracy in exchange for corruption and what a stellar cast! Adolphe Menjou...Van Johnson in one of his finest roles...Charles Dingle...and the way Capra uses the bit-players as well as forgotten ones!
Mm, mm, mm. GOOD movie. It isn't everyday you can learn civics, government and politics all in one shot, and especially not in a movie. True, Capra facilitates the lesson by caricaturing certain elements (i.e., the mouthy old lady who allegedly stands up for minority voters).
You need no more from me...get this, cherish it as one of our truly great films of all time. And one of the most ignored. Forget that it has jokes about old guys who are still left over from President Harding's era. Forget that Republicans and Democrats were a bit different back then.
Remember only this: you'll go a looong way without finding a better two hours in front of the tube!
HOUSEKEEPER TO MATTHEWS: "Hope you like this room. True, a Democrat was here before you...but don't worry! He wasn't a ROOSEVELT Democrat!"
Summary of State of the Union
Academy Award-winning screen icons Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn shine in a classic film about marriage, politics and the pursuit of the American dream. When idealistic businessman Grant Matthews (Tracy) is chosen to run for the Presidency, he is caught between the ruthless ambition of a string-pulling newspaper owner and the integrity of his devoted wife (Hepburn). But just as Matthews embraces his ultimate goal, he realizes that he may have lost touch with the American people. Masterfully directed by three-time Academy Award winner Frank Capra (It?s a Wonderful Life, It Happened One Night), State of the Union is a timeless crowd pleaser with a stellar supporting cast including Angela Lansbury, Van Johnson and Adolphe Menjou.Similar DVD Movies
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