Before I say all the positives I plan on saying about THE FARMER'S DAUGHTER, I feel I must point out that the Oscar that Loretta Young received for her performance was a gift. While her competition was relatively weak that year, there were better ones. One reviewer pointed out that Rosalind Russell was the presumed favorite, but relative newcomer Susan Hayward's performance in SMASH UP was exceptional and truly deserved the Oscar (watch this film--you'll see what I mean). As for Young, she was amusing to watch but also a bit embarrassing with her silly Swedish accent (which, at times, she forgot to employ). Plus, her role was so slight and light-weight that I just can't understand the committee's decision to award her the statuette for such an ordinary performance. There I said it...now on to the film itself.

THE FARMER'S DAUGHTER was a cute little comedy about a nice lady (Young) from the country that moves to the city and becomes the maid to a US congressman (Joseph Cotton) and his mother (Ethel Barrymore). Because she is such a nice, bright and hard-working lady, Young is almost instantly accepted into the family. Cotton, in particular, seems very taken with her and considering how sweet she is, it didn't seem all that surprising.

Quite unexpectedly, in the middle of the film it is announced that another congressman has died and they need to have a special election to fill the post. Cotton and Barrymore are THE party machine for the state and they decide to put up a man who Young dislikes. At the rally to introduce this candidate, Young is so annoyed at the nominee that she gets up and voices her concerns for his fitness. As a result, she receives a lot of media attention and is soon tapped to be the candidate for the opposition party--creating quite a dilemma for Cotton and his party! There's a lot more to the film, but the overall effort seems a lot like a comedic version of MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON. Cute and entertaining throughout and written very cleverly--it's well worth a look and is sure to provide a few laughs.

By the way, look at Young's three brothers in the film. NONE of them has a Swedish accent and one of them is a young James Arness.

Have not seen or read the play that 'The Farmer's Daughter' is based on, so have no reason to make any comparisons. Even if there was familiarity with the play, it would have no bearing on my opinion of the film, being someone who always tries to judge something on its own terms. The premise was interesting and it is hard to resist a film that is compared to the work of Frank Capra, favourably mostly too, or one with gifted actors on board.

'The Farmer's Daughter' is not a masterpiece by all means, but that doesn't stop it from being the very enjoyable and easy to like film that it is. One can see why it has been compared to Capra (i.e. 'Mr Smith Goes to Washington' comes to mind) and all the cast are on good form. One can debate as to whether the always worth watching Loretta Young deserved her Oscar in not the stongest of categories that year, but that shouldn't distract one too much from getting anything out of 'The Farmer's Daughter'.

Young herself is immensely charming throughout, especially in the second half where she is more dominant. Admittedly the accent is not great and quite odd, in no way does she convince as a Swede, but the radiant charm, nuance and effortless charisma more than makes up for that as well as that the character is likeable. It's not just her that shines in the cast, everybody does a great job (although Harry Davenport's screen time is much too short). Joseph Cotten shows a lighter side to usual and doesn't ever play the part too heavily or seriously. Ethel Barrymore and particularly Charles Bickford are also splendid, Barrymore steals all her scenes and Bickford's gruff yet also sympathetic performance is one of 'The Farmer's Daughter's' highlights.

It's not just the cast that are good. The story is not over-complicated and is eventful without being cluttered or rushed. Some films have distracting suspension of disbelief moments and contrivances but that's not the case (or certainly nowhere near as much) for 'The Farmer's Daughter'. The second half is better than the first, the first is still very entertaining and well crafted though takes a little too long to get going. The second half though is tighter paced, is wittier and has more charm. The script is also beautifully balanced, with witty and playful comedy, an amiable feel good, light-hearted vibe and the political elements don't feel heavy-handed or that out of date. It doesn't get silly, has plenty of sharp and intelligent moments and any sentiment doesn't get too much.

On the visual side, 'The Farmer's Daughter' is beautifully shot, Young looks very fetching in her clothes and the setting doesn't look cheap and it is easy to tell what period (when and where) it's set in. It's a whimsically scored film, one can never tell that it was adapted from a stage play (with it not being stage-bound, histrionic, talky or static) and the characters feel real and not hard to get behind. The direction doesn't try to do too much while never coming over as indifferent.

Summing up, very good film. 8/10

When Loretta Young beat out Rosalind Russell in the Academy Award sweepstakes of 1947 it was considered one of the great upsets in the history of Oscar. Russell had gotten a lot of acclaim for her dramatic breakthrough performance in Mourning Becomes Electra which was RKO's prestige picture of the year. The O'Neill drama flopped at the box office. Young was nominated almost as an afterthought to round out the field in 1947. Of course RKO didn't care because The Farmer's Daughter was also one of their films.

Young worked hard to get her proper Swedish accent for the film and the results would have made Greta Garbo proud. I can't see Garbo appearing in a film like The Farmer's Daughter though.

Young plays Katie Holstrum who leaves the family farm to study nursing and in an almost Forrest Gump like set of circumstances winds up working as a maid in Congressman Joseph Cotten's home. She's not working for just Cotten. Presiding over the home and the state of Minnesota itself is Cotten's mother Ethel Barrymore. Ethel's not only queen of her own roost, but she's a Senator's widow and still one formidable power in her state of Minnesota. And there's Charles Bickford the family butler who got an Oscar nomination himself in this film for Best Supporting Actor as Young's gruff, but kindly mentor.

Although at the time this film was made Young was 34 years old she does manage to convey youth here. It worked in this case because in 1947 a lot of people were starting their careers late. It's pointed out in the story that she stayed on the family farm while her beefcake brothers, James Arness, Keith Andes, and Lex Barker were all in the service during World War II.

A long running television series was adapted from this film with the tragic Inger Stevens in the lead and William Windom in Cotten's role. Cathleen Nesbitt was the grande political dame. The butler's role was dropped and Windom was made a widower with two boys. Even with a genuine Swede like Stevens playing Katie, Young still comes out the better.

Too bad Rosalind Russell never got an Oscar, but Loretta Young was one of the great survivors of Hollywood and her award was as much an award for a lifetime as for the still fresh and funny, The Farmer's Daughter.