GamerTab That was an excellent one.

Titreenp SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

SpunkySelfTwitter It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

Ketrivie It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

ccc-123 Maybe it's me, but I couldn't really like this film.Tracy and Hepburn are usually very watchable, and Tracy's performance here is good, if limited by the amount of work he has to do. I thought Hepburn was miscast and missed her usual repartee that we have seen in her other films.A personal dislike of mine is the sort of wise-cracking, cynical guy played by Van Johnson. Again, I normally enjoy his work, but this sort of character often employed in this type of film from the 40s and 50s (see Kip Lurie in "Adam's Rib") I find becomes very wearing very quickly.Angela Lansbury is and looks good in a role that foreshadows her role in "The Manchurian Candidate". She is a plus.I felt the plot was also pretty weak, tough it does show that nothing much has changed in US politics it seems.

krocheav Where did this come from? Being unheard of for so many years I fully expected either a load of rubbish or a press & politically sabotaged surprise. It turns out to be both. Clearly based on a stage production (and a successful one) the movie also feels too much like a filmed play. Technically it's both big-budget-slick, and messy. It also looks as if it might have been tampered with after the completion of the initial edit - with some of the worst continuity cuts seen in a major release or maybe they had trouble with Tracy's drinking and lines?? The movie is politically on target as would be expected from Mr Capra and reminds us of the present day arena. Tends to suggest the Democrats remain as out for themselves as ever while the common worker gets shafted. This picture is not treated as 'idealistically' as earlier politically themed Capra shows but, it does suffer with going on for too long. It also suffers with some eye-rolling poor technical details - such as some hi-jinks in a light plane with Tracy in the pilot seat. Performances are all top notch with many classic faces from the era but the length makes the staginess seem even more apparent. Some knowledge of American political history would help keep up with the one liners and comments that flow freely. Seems Katharine Hepburn took over from Claudette Colbert at the last minute but, as she'd been assisting Tracy with his rehearsals was already up to speed. A 23 yr old Angela Lansbury makes for a formidable newspaper heiress out to ruin the aspirations of Tracy's candidature and would imagine that John Frankenheimer or his casting agent would have seen this performance before casting her in The Manchurian Candidate. 'Union' is harder to settle into than other Capra offerings, but interesting for its observations of the day and how some still hold true.

dangolk [Warning: Proceed if you don't care about spoilers] Frank Capra's State of the Union is a startling peek into the world of politics in American civilization. It gives its viewers an amazing insight into what goes into political campaigns, and basically walks us through each step of the hurdle. The movie takes us on a journey that leads to a path to presidency, and it does it in so many levels with so many strong characters. The lead character is Grant Matthews who is a successful industrialist with high moral standards and principles. He is the aspiring Presidential candidate chosen by the conniving politician Jim Conover who is all too familiar with the political world. Alongside, we see the stern, bold character Kay Thorndyke who runs a newspaper inherited from her father, and is romantically involved with Grant Matthews. An important character present in the movie is Mary Matthews, wife of Grant Matthews, who knows her husband too well and is apprehensive about his decision to enter the political domain. The movie presents a dramatic eye-opener into the world of politics through the story of Grant Matthews who is put into the shoes of a Presidential candidate, and it is the account of how this incident affects the lives of each character in the movie.The movie is fast paced in terms of politics as the viewers are quick to dive into learning about the process of selecting the President of United States. The entire plot starts when power-hungry politician Jim Conover tags up with the newspaper magnate Kay Thorndyke to find someone who could represent the Presidential Nominee for the Republican Party. However, the movie is one-sided as we only get to see the Republican side of the story. The movie pictures Republicans as effective opportunists who exploit the general interests of the American people by abusing the political system to advance their intents and motives just to gain votes from the public. During a time when America needed a President, Jim Conover sees an opportunity when Kay Thorndyke presents Grant Matthews, who is a self-made man, an industrialist who made airplanes with only two years of high school, a friend of the labor industry and a man of high integrity. All of these factors made Grant Matthews a potential dark horse in the Republican Party, which would benefit Jim Conover and other republicans in countless ways. And thus Jim Conover initiates the relentless political campaigns to raise Grant Matthews to the top for reasons that were more beneficial to him and his political party than to the United States of America.The movie also sheds light on the symbiotic relationship that exists between the media and politics. In the movie, there are benefits to both the Republican Party and The Thorndyke Press if Grant Matthews becomes the President. The news of a dark horse emerging from the Republican Party coming through a particular press would skyrocket their market value and put them on the top of the press chain. So both parties, having much to gain, join forces and utilize every unit of their power to bolster the Grant Matthews as President campaign. This mutual relationship between the press and the political world is timeless as it is prevalently seen in the news even to this day. Various media outlets get to publish the latest scoops and earn a good reputation for themselves, and the political parties get to influence the public by giving the media their side of the story. The movie spectacularly displays the bitter truth of how the media and politicians have been joining forces to sway public opinion. The movie is very politically condensed as it packs a great deal of information to any viewer aspiring to learn about the American political system. It brings forth the harsh reality that you can't make everybody happy in a world where people have differing opinions and different ideologies about every little issue in our society. To put up with everybody and gain their approval, you have to pull some strings here and there. Politics requires a man to compromise his morale and ethics in order to climb up the political ladder. The movies shows how an honest man like Grant Matthews had to give up his ideals and lower his standards in order to enter the deceptively travestied world of politics.

janiceferrero Politics then and now, what's the difference? "People are beginning to think that there is no difference between the Republican and the Democratic party" Sounds familiar? Special interests groups, lobbyists, mercenaries and somewhere in the middle of it all Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, projecting the hopes of all well meaning Americans, or earthlings in general for that matter. The chemistry between Tracy and Hepburn is so all consuming that whatever we see them do or hear them say we believe, we believe totally. As if this was not enough, Adelph Menjou gives his character a truth that is as relevant and uncomfortable as it is entertaining. But the crowning jewel of this wonderful film is Angela Lansbury - she was barely 20 years old when she made this movie and look at her, just look at her. Not merely holding her own with seasoned stars like Tracy and Hepburn but at times, overshadowing them. This is considered a minor Capra, I just say, you must be kidding.