The defence The Sentimental Softie
“Sincerity is not manipulation.”
The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.
Back to trending 
A Day at the Races
Comedy · Music · 1937
Doctor Hugo Hackenbush, Tony, and Stuffy try and save Judy's sanitarium by winning a big race with a finicky horse owned by Judy's boyfriend Gil. There are a few problems. Hackenbush, who was recently put in charge of the sanitarium, isn't really a doctor, he's a veterinarian.
Movie details
A Day at the Races
“Three Great Laff Stars ! . . . more gags and gals . . . more songs and dances !”
1937 Comedy · Music 1h 49m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
7.1 / 10
Community rating
Doctor Hugo Hackenbush, Tony, and Stuffy try and save Judy's sanitarium by winning a big race with a finicky horse owned by Judy's boyfriend Gil. There are a few problems. Hackenbush, who was recently put in charge of the sanitarium, isn't really a doctor, he's a veterinarian.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over A Day at the Races?
For the defence
The Sentimental Softie
“You came to feel something, and you will.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Cool Ironist
“Feeling things is a little embarrassing.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
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Pitch Perfect 3
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Where it lives
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Sam Wood
Written by
George Seaton · George Oppenheimer · Robert Pirosh
Groucho Marx
Dr. Hugo Z. Hackenbush
Chico Marx
Tony
Harpo Marx
Stuffy
Allan Jones
Gil Stewart
Maureen O'Sullivan
Judy Standish
Margaret Dumont
Emily Upjohn
Sig Ruman
Dr. Leopold X. Steinberg
Court is in session
Put A Day at the Races on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Cool Ironist
“The strings are showing.”
Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.