Tools of Characterization

Characterization in You Can't Take It With You

Clothes

Mr. Kirby always wears a suit, except when he wears an even more formal tux. Tony even calls him a "stuffed shirt" because he's so stiff and formal and snobbish. The Sycamores, on the other hand, are always in various states of disarray, with wild hair, sleeves rolled up—or even wearing a mask, like Poppins.

Alice is special though; she switches off between the formal and the casual. Out with Tony she wears a ravishing gown; at work she wears a sober dress; at home, she often wears pants… the better to slide down the banister with. She's part of both worlds—and not coincidentally somewhat less sharp as a character than many of the other folks in the film. Wear too many clothes, and it gets harder to see you.

Occupations/Hobbies

Many of the characters in the film are defined by what they do; Essie dances, Mrs. Sycamore writes, Poppins make things. They are all fun and goofy because they do fun and goofy things. And of course Mr. Kirby is a boring banker because he's a boring banker… until he takes up the harmonica, that is.

The big divide in the film isn't between what you do (banking or bricklaying) but between whether you get paid for it and whether you don't. Folks who work for pay are boring and staid in You Can't Take It With You. It's when you take up a hobby (like writing a novel or dancing) that you start to be interesting.

Direct Characterization

Mr. Kirby especially is characterized directly by Grandpa:

GRANDPA: You may be a high mogul to yourself, Mr. Kirby, but to me you're a failure—failure as a man, failure as a human being, even a failure as a father.

That's a pretty mean thing to say—but it does tell you what you need to know about Mr. Kirby.

There are other examples too. For instance, Tony says, "I'm a left-handed guy", which means he's a bit of an oddball (though not compared to the Sycamore family). And at the end, Grandpa characterizes Mr. Kirby again, this time saying he "turned out to be a very good egg." Capra wants to make sure you know Kirby has gotten to be a better person, so he just flat-out tells you.