You Can't Take It with You story
You Can't Take It with You is a 1938 American romantic comedy film directed by Frank Capra, and starring Jean Arthur, Lionel Barrymore, James Stewart, and Edward Arnold. Adapted by Robert Riskin from the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1936 play of the same name by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, the film is about a man from a family of rich snobs who becomes engaged to a woman from a good- natured but decidedly eccentric family. A critical and commercial success, the film received two Academy Awards: Best Picture and Best Director for Frank Capra. This was Capra's third Oscar for Best Director in just five years, following It Happened One Night (1934) and Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936).
37 total · 5 choice · 10 major · 22 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| carpe diem | choice | Mr. Vanderhof's philosophy was that one should make the most of one's time and not waste it on the pointless pursuit of wealth. |
| infatuation | choice | Tony Kirby and Alice Sycamore were head over heels with one another. Overcoming the obstacles in the way of their relationship was at the core of the story. |
| meeting the parents | choice | The story concerns Tony and Alice trying to acquaint themselves and their respective families with one another. |
| money can't buy happiness | choice | Mr. Vanderhof spelled out his philosophy to Mr. Kirby: One should not waste one's time in the pursuit of wealth because "You Can't Take It with You" when you die. For some reason he also believed that you can take your friendships with you. |
| money isn't everything | choice | Mr. Vanderhof spelled out his philosophy to Mr. Kirby: One should not waste one's time in the pursuit of wealth because "You Can't Take It with You" when you die. For some reason he also believed that you can take your friendships with you. |
| choosing between love and family | major | Tony and Alice each worried that the other's family would alienate their own. Alice at one point called off the engagement owing to this strife, but the families reconciled in the end, and the two got reengaged with their respective parent's blessings. |
| engaged couple | major | Tony Kirby and Alice Sycamore were betrothed for most of the story. The house servants Rheba and Donald were engaged. |
| father and son | major | Mr. Kirby and his son Tony were at the center of the story. |
| friendship vs. personal gain | major | Mr. Vanerhof turned a very high offer for his house because he was rooted in the local community. |
| greed for riches | major | Mr. Kirby knew no bounds when it came to increasing his private wealth through means that were legally dubious but indubitably ruthless business practices. |