Every once in a while I see a movie that I feel every American needs to see and I just have to share it.

The movie is Mr. Smith Goes to Washington with James Stewart.

This film was filmed in 1939 and is a little over two hours long but brilliantly done.

Why is it so important for kids and teens to watch it? Because it shows how one man actually CAN have an affect on a nation, both negatively and positively.

One the one side is our protagonist, Mr. Jeff Smith, a boy’s group leader, well-loved, honest as the day is long, a little ‘wet behind the ears’ as Saunders, his senatorial assistant describes, and naive enough to win the battle at showdown.

On the other side of the movie is the antagonist, The Tailor Machine, made up of the governor and everyone he’s bought and now controls: senators, newspapers, radio stations and more.

The movie is about truth, justice and the American Way.

The movie is about taking a stand and standing ’til you drop because you can’t quit, no matter what.

The movie is about having the right support at the right time in the right places.

The movie is about knowing what’s right and doing what’s right…something that has become a distant memory for a lot of Americans.

And the movie is about American history; how it came to be, what it stands for, and how, even back then, we tend to forget where we came from.

So, next time you don’t know what to do with your kids, fire up your Netflix account and watch, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington. Be prepared to either stop the movie for a little discussion with your kids about what’s going on or make sure you leave enough time at the end of the movie to talk about how they feel about what happened in the movie and what’s happening in America now.

Enjoy…