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Mr. Carter Goes To Washington, Allen K. Rostron

Faculty Works

Jimmy Carter's presidency began like Frank Capra's "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" (1939), as the tale of an idealistic and innocent outsider making his way from a humble small town to the nation's capital. Following that promising beginning, disappointment and frustration followed. The story of Carter's undoing found reflection in several films of that era, particularly "...And Justice for All" (1979), "The Seduction of Joe Tynan" (1979), and "Brubaker" (1980). Each concerns an idealistic hero whose uncompromised good intentions cannot prosper. These films capture a unique period when events tested America's enduring belief in the efficacy of virtue.