Review: State of the Union

Directed by: Frank Capra

Written by: Myles Connolly & Anthony Veiller

Starring: Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Van Johnson, Angela Lansbury, Adolphe Menjou

Rating: [4/5]

Running for political office and completely retaining one’s values feels like quite the waste of time in all reality because one of those will need to bend in order for the desired goal to be met. Something even the most idealistic campaigners learn and must adjust to as displayed in State of the Union where we see this Capra film delves right into these harsh truths along with the alluring feeling of gaining the adoration of potential constituents. 

Seizing the opportunity to stake herself a career in politics, Kay Thorndyke (Angela Lansbury) convinces her lover, Grant Matthews (Spencer Tracy) to run for President where she can help guide him through the process. While running the show from behind the curtain to not doom his run as he’s currently married to the idealistic Mary (Katharine Hepburn). As Matthews gets ever closer to attaining the coveted nomination, his idealism begins to falter under the compromises necessary for victory. 

All one needed to do was read the logline of this feature and I could tell you this feature was crafted by Frank Capra as it very much matches the types of stories he lies telling about American ideals and politics. Taking a more cynical approach than what he does in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, in this feature, he focuses more on the rise and how the integrity of Matthews gets chipped away at consistently until he becomes everything he promised himself he would avoid becoming for the sake of power. 

Through his messaging, Matthews represents what many say represents the best type of candidate. An individual who speaks about helping the people while also speaking the truth about his opinions on how things operate in the country along with what he seeks to do about it. That includes taking positions that would make him unpopular within his very own party. His honest approach certainly gains the adoration of the followers, but through Kay Thorndyke, we see the true machinations going on in the background making for quite the war of words and stares between her and Mary, Matthew’s wife. 

Very much aware of her husband’s affair, Mary’s plight in this feature, portrayed by the elegant and legendary Katharine Hepburn, falls into the difficulties of wanting to support her husband while also trying to stay true to herself. She can look past the affair because she genuinely believes in what he can do just as long as Thorndyke stays far away from the campaign, but we, as the audience, know the truth of the matter. This rivalry between the two women makes the moments where they share the screen quite a tense affair. Thorndyke’s presence could sink the whole campaign as a man capable of cheating on his wife should not have the trust of the American people and this narrative really pushes Mary to the brink of what she can sustain in her support of her husband while still maintaining some semblance of integrity. Those icy states across the rooms and sly talk gives quite the face-off between Hepburn and Angela Lansbury giving the audience quite the treat to take in. 

These two women ultimately represent the push and pull of the story as they guide Grant in his journey toward the potential bid for the presidency. In a way, he almost feels like a surrogate for these women to do all of the work needed. Certainly not taking away from what Spencer Tracy does through his role with the lead character, but at times he takes a backseat and almost feels like a figurehead candidate for what all of the other characters want him to represent. Something very much in keeping with the lessons this feature wants to elicit towards the audience. 

The more time he spends campaigning the more he becomes a shell of himself and more so a vessel for others to use his affability to push what they want from him. Something that has existed for quite a long time in the political sphere where opinions come from focus group-approved decisions making less of a person but rather the formula of what will ultimately win. Capra certainly holds nothing back, but knowing his type of stories makes it quite evident exactly how this feature will end, which ultimately wants the audience to feel good and believe in an America that exists in Capra’s head but not what reality bears. 

Quite the enjoyable affair in more ways than one, State of the Union provides plenty to mull over with what it says through hits message and does so with the typical Frank Capra film. Through this feature, we get the opportunity to see Katharine Hepburn work with Frank Capra, which feels like the collaboration we have always needed. Then throwing in the likes of Spencer Tracy and Angela Lansbury as her rival demonstrates the treat this film has given us.