The cheery, upbeat tale of a proudly bohemian family and their efforts to find common ground with the snooty, stuffed-shirt parents of a future son-in-law. I don't usually go for such brash, in-your-face optimism, but something about this ragtag group of merry, welcoming, open-hearted characters really struck a chord.

Though it brims with loud personality - new faces pile in by the fistful each time we visit the house - there's a shocking level of character development at play here. That can be partially attributed to its roots in theater, and the associated volumes of dialog that are breathlessly peppered in, but I think just as much credit must go to the actors, who commit wholeheartedly to their roles (no matter how silly) and smoothly grant fast, earnest credibility.

Stereotypes abound in the plot, from the sinister banker looking to tear down a merry little village to the happy-go-lucky grandpa who's always got the perfect sentimental speech prepared, but that legitimacy of character (plus the film's age) makes it all feel like a natural fit. And really, don't some themes ring eternal? A true classic that warms the heart and reminds us to slow down and ensure we're still getting all we want from life.

If I was forced to pick one all-time favorite movie, out of the dozens I love, it would probably have to be this one. This is the film adaption of the Pulitzer Prize-winning stage play by George Kaufman and Moss Hart, and the film went on to win the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director for that year. The story and characters are so hilarious and endearing, any normal person couldn't help but enjoy it! Interestingly enough, I saw this right after Frank Capra's incredibly famous It's a Wonderful Life, also with James Stewart and Lionel Barrymore, and both films served to cement Lionel Barrymore's place on my list of favorite actors. One change made in the movie that was not originally there in Kaufman and Hart's play was the fact that Barrymore's character, Martin Vanderhof (played by Henry Travers in the stage production), had a broken leg. This was actually only done for the movie because it was made shortly after the accident that eventually caused Barrymore to be in a wheelchair, so he performed his role here using a pair of crutches, which I have read caused him a great deal of pain and annoyance during the filming. This is certainly a testament to his incredible acting ability and talent, since his character was so kind, optimistic, and almost too nice!