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33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best comic play in the history of American theater., August 23, 1998
By A Customer
"You Can't Take It with You," by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, can be quickly described as a comedy about a madcap family. It is, however, beneath its very funny surface, a meditation on the problems of individuality, conformity, and the ways in which one decides to live one's life.The plot concerns the Vanderhof clan, an extended family who all live in a large house situated somewhere near Columbia University. The house is owned by Grandpa Vanderhof, a man who left his life in commerce some years before and now spends his time collecting snakes, throwing darts, and attending college commencements. His daughter, Penny, writes plays on a typewriter which had been delivered to their home by mistake. Penny's husband is named Paul. Paul manufactures fireworks in the base ment with the help of Mr. DiPinna, a gentlemen who came to deliver something and has stayed on for seven years. Paul and Penny have found time to produce two daughters: Essie, who dances ballet to the xylophone accompaniment of her husband, Ed, and Alice, the sole "normal" member of the family. Alice has become involved with the boss's son, and most of the plot revolves around the complications that arise from the son (Tony) bringing his parents to dinner at the Vanderhofs' one night before the dinner was actually scheduled. The plot, however, is only a small part of what makes this comedy (which ran for more than 800 performances on Broadway in a time when 200 performances was considered a hit) an endlessly fascinating, always enjoyable event. The characters are rich, often loopy, and even eminently sensible. Grandpa Vanderhof is a sage, and lines of his run through my head almost daily as little pieces of wisdom with which I make my way through life. "Life is kind of beautiful," he says, "if you just let it come to you." This, in many ways, sums up the theme. It's a play that reads well. From the opening description through to the final line of dialogue it is entertainment, pure and simple. The first act is extraordinary, a mixing of exposition and farce which has rarely, if ever, been equalled. The play as a whole is human, humane, and witty, and wise. It has an almost Taoist quality and a peace at its core which I feel makes it unique. It is a great play which should be seen, read, and experienced at every available opportunity. On top of all this (to quote Woody Allen), it makes me laugh.
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