You can call the Frank Capra formula corny all you want. You can tell me that his penchant for gooey sentimentality and easily-consumed messages is both shallow and manipulative, and that his stories in no way reflect the harshness of reality. I don't care. As someone who craves a little heavy-handed optimism once in a while, it almost always works on me. And Mr. Deeds Goes to Town is no exception.
I'm not sure that I'd rank this one among the true Capra elite (which, to my taste, is Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and It's a Wonderful Life), partly because I'm not completely sold on Gary Cooper in this kind of role and partly because the emotional core isn't quite as strong (though that's a ridiculously high bar), but it's nevertheless a timeless and wonderful romantic comedy, bolstered by its sincerity, its playful attitude, and an extremely likeable performance from Jean Arthur.
Plus, I dunno, I guess I'm just a sucker for Capra's belief that one person really can make a difference. That's a message that'll always resonate, even if none of our real-life billionaires seem to agree.
Grade: A