This was very good in the first half, a disappointment in the second. When things were going good, it was light-hearted and fun to watch, even inspiring to see "Lawrence 'Rip' Smith (James Stewart) and his idolizing kids. But, but when "Smith" was exposed as someone else, the story went in the opposite direction, almost depressing. The townspeople were still interesting to watch, even making fools of themselves with their suddenly-inflated egos but, they, too, lost their charm.
After these ups and downs, we get a Frank Capra-like ending where all things work out, even with a few credibility holes in the story. In all, a so-so human interest story perhpas worth a rental if you're a James Stewart fan, but not buying.
After these ups and downs, we get a Frank Capra-like ending where all things work out, even with a few credibility holes in the story. In all, a so-so human interest story perhpas worth a rental if you're a James Stewart fan, but not buying.