Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
Alice, the only relatively normal member of the eccentric Sycamore family, falls in love with Tony Kirby, but his wealthy banker father and snobbish mother strongly disapprove of the match. When the Kirbys are invited to dinner to become better acquainted with their future in-laws, things don't turn out the way Alice had hoped.
Frank Capra's Oscar-winning adaptation of the Kaufman-Hart play is a warm, crowd-pleasing comedy driven by its exceptional ensemble cast — Lionel Barrymore, James Stewart, and Jean Arthur all shine with natural charisma. The plot is fairly conventional class-comedy fare — eccentric underdogs vs. snobbish elites — and the resolution leans heavily on sentiment over surprise. Cinematography is solid but unremarkable for the era. The ending is satisfying but predictable, fully in keeping with Capra's signature optimism. Novelty is moderate: the film perfects a certain kind of Depression-era screwball-adjacent comedy but doesn't break much new ground even by 1938 standards.