State Fair: It’s basically a wholesome time machine

Is it worth your time?

If you have a soft spot for pre-code era comfort movies, you’ll dig this. It’s sweet, a little dusty, and doesn't try to reinvent the wheel. If you hate anything that smells like apple pie or earnest, small-town ambition, skip it. You will be bored to tears by the middle.

The whole thing hinges on a pig named Blue Boy. I’m not kidding. The family is so obsessed with this animal that you’d think he was a human child. Watching the dad fret over the hog’s appetite is weirdly compelling. 🐖

Will Rogers is in this, and he just anchors the screen. He doesn't even feel like he's acting half the time. It’s like he just wandered off a porch in Iowa and ended up on a movie set.

The romance subplots are fine, I guess. Janet Gaynor is lovely, but the energy shifts from 'serious pig competition' to 'I'm falling in love with a reporter' pretty fast. It gave me whiplash.

Small things I noticed:

• The background extras in the crowd scenes look like they were told to just 'act excited' and never stopped.
• Some of the dialogue hits that perfect, sharp 1930s rhythm that we just don't hear anymore.
• The lighting in the carnival scenes is surprisingly moody for a movie about an agricultural fair.

It’s not as sharp as Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford, but it has a different kind of heart. It doesn't have the grit of Burning the Wind either. It’s just... pleasant.

There’s a moment near the end where the tension of the competition actually felt real. I found myself leaning in, worried about a pig. A fictional pig from 1933. What is wrong with me?

It feels like a movie made by people who actually remembered what a fair felt like. It’s not overproduced. It’s just a family going to a fair. Sometimes that's enough.

Also, the transition from the farm to the fairgrounds felt way too quick. One minute they are milking cows, the next they are surrounded by flashing lights. The pacing is a bit of a mess, but honestly, it matches the feeling of being overwhelmed at a real fair. 🎡

If you liked the vibe in A Regular Fellow, you'll probably find this equally charming. Just don't expect a masterpiece. It's a nice walk down a dirt road.