Mr. Deeds Goes to Town: Still strangely refreshing

Is it worth your time?

If you like movies that feel like a warm blanket but with enough bite to keep you awake, yes. You should watch this tonight if you’re tired of modern irony. If you hate earnestness or think black-and-white films are just "boring history class" material, you’re going to be annoyed by how much everyone smiles. 🤷‍♂️

Gary Cooper is the whole deal here. He plays Longfellow Deeds with this specific, slightly hunched shoulders posture that makes him look like he’s constantly trying not to bump into expensive furniture. He isn’t just a nice guy; he’s a guy who is genuinely confused by why people are so mean for no reason.

The scene where he’s in the restaurant and gets served a massive pile of food he didn’t order? It lasts just long enough to be genuinely frustrating. You can feel the city pressing in on him. Jean Arthur is just a lightning bolt in this. She plays the reporter who uses him for a story, and the way she shifts from cynical to... well, let’s not spoil it, but it’s a masterclass in facial micro-expressions.

Odd observations:

• The way Deeds plays the tuba is so endearingly uncool. It’s the perfect character detail that tells you everything you need to know about him without a single line of dialogue.
• The courtroom climax. It goes on for a bit, maybe 10 minutes too long, but watching Deeds finally lose his cool is worth the wait. It’s like watching a teakettle finally scream.
• Some of the extras in the background of the New York scenes look like they’re genuinely lost. I swear one guy in the background of the hotel lobby is just staring directly into the camera for five seconds straight.

There’s a weird, jagged energy to the dialogue that makes it feel less like a play and more like a real, fast-talking argument. It’s not as polished as something like The Light of Western Stars, which felt way more stiff to me when I checked it out last month. Mr. Deeds has this messy, human heart that refuses to be suppressed by the script’s own structure.

It’s not a perfect movie. Sometimes the "small town values" thing is laid on a bit thick, like butter on a burnt piece of toast. But then you get a moment like Deeds trying to explain his poetry to a room full of suits, and you realize you don’t care about the pacing issues. You’re just rooting for the guy.

It’s honestly a relief to watch something that isn’t trying to win an award, just trying to tell a story about a guy who likes his tuba and his privacy. Maybe that’s all we need sometimes. 🎺