Two stories of ordinary people who find the inner strength to stay standing in the boxing arena of politics.
Coyote vs. ACME (2026; rentable on Amazon Prime)
When Wile E. Coyote sees a cartoon-serving lawyer’s ad on TV, he packs his failed ACME products and sues the big company—to his small lawyer’s chagrin. This is what Looney Tunes should be—the animation is contemporary and traditional at once. And it manages to tell a compelling, even moving story with Wile E. Coyote as a central character! Just as compelling is the responsibility-avoiding lawyer and his motley crew—the optimistic student, the hilarious defeatist secretary—and big-ego villains who represent big money, harmful business, and political power. The story is timely and timeless.
This was an inspiring movie for me. In a different life, it would have made me want to be a lawyer! Its simple optimism in the value of standing up for what’s right, embodied in the lawyer’s student assistant, combined with its gentle, self-forgiving humor, makes impossible odds feel a little less daunting. It makes the good shine for what it is—not by works, but by faith.
For sensitive viewers: Mild cartoon violence. A handful of mild swear words (see IMDb). A background song with swear words that are “meeped” out.
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939; free on Tubi)
When a smalltown everyman (James Stewart) is elected to the US Congress, he finds himself caught between political maneuvering, media spin, and a wily love interest (Jean Arthur). This has always been a special movie for me and my family. Jimmy Stewart is at his best, which is enough to make any movie worthwhile. But it’s also a story that gives him the chance to express his full range of emotion (short of some of the darkest depths of It’s a Wonderful Life). Like that classic, this is another Frank Capra film, starring the same lead actors just one year after You Can’t Take It With You.
I feel like Capra made this movie three times. First, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936); second, this; third, Meet John Doe (1941). Where the first was about money, and the third is about media, this one is about politics. All three of them are great and feature great casts, but this one may be the best: the most well-rounded presentation of characters and emotion. But hey, watch all three!
Our two movies share an odd history. The US Government tried to stop Mr. Smith Goes to Washington from being released. It indeed presents a disturbing (but ultimately hopeful) portrait of Capitol Hill. As for Coyote vs. ACME, it was shelved as a “tax write-off” in 2023. Yes, it was completed in 2023 but not released. But eventually, like its persistent titular Coyote, it found a way!
For sensitive viewers: A very brief, off-screen suicide attempt that is wholly unsuccessful.
Coming Up…
I was going to do a month of movies about war. Ugh. Then I realized that politics would be a better, more general theme for an election month. That said, get ready to celebrate Veteran’s Day next week!
