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Spencer's Mountain

Spencer's Mountain

Drama · Family · 1963

Clay Spencer and his wife, Olivia, live in a small town deep in the mountains. When Clay isn't busy drinking with his buddies or railing against the town minister, he's building the house he's always promised Olivia. He is overjoyed when he learns his eldest son will be the first Spencer to attend college, if he can resist the charms of a pretty local girl and rustle up the money for tuition.

Movie details

Spencer's Mountain

“Clayboy's schoolteacher impresses upon Clayboy the following phrase, "The world steps aside to let a man pass, if he knows where he is going"”

1963 Drama · Family 1h 58m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.8 / 10

Community rating

Clay Spencer and his wife, Olivia, live in a small town deep in the mountains. When Clay isn't busy drinking with his buddies or railing against the town minister, he's building the house he's always promised Olivia. He is overjoyed when he learns his eldest son will be the first Spencer to attend college, if he can resist the charms of a pretty local girl and rustle up the money for tuition.

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 Spencer's Mountain?

The 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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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Delmer Daves

Written by

Delmer Daves

Henry Fonda

Henry Fonda

Clay Spencer

Maureen O'Hara

Maureen O'Hara

Olivia Spencer

James MacArthur

James MacArthur

Clayboy Spencer

Donald Crisp

Donald Crisp

Grandpa Spencer

Wally Cox

Wally Cox

Preacher Goodman

Mimsy Farmer

Mimsy Farmer

Claris Coleman

Virginia Gregg

Virginia Gregg

Miss Parker

Court is in session

Put Spencer's Mountain on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

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.

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.