Week 32 : It's A Wonderful Life
True traditions are simply habits that we love so much we want to do them on an annual basis. They are the things that are important because we consider them so. Without them our lives can become empty and hollow. Movies give us a unique opportunity to have a communal experience with a work of art. When we see a truly wonderful film we want to immediately see it again and share it with those we love. It takes a special kind of movie to become so engrained in our culture that it becomes a yearly event for millions of people. Even the greatest of all films- pictures such as Citizen Kane, The Godfather, Vertigo or 2001- often fail to meet this ultimate honor of becoming a true American tradition. It is one thing to be a masterpiece. It is another to be loved by virtually everyone. It’s a Wonderful Life is one of those glorious experiences. It is not a movie but an American tradition. Like baseball in the spring or fireworks on the Fourth of July, It’s a Wonderful Life is something that tens of millions of people share every year at Christmas time. The Godfather is just a movie. It’s a Wonderful Life is a national treasure.
More than perhaps any other, Frank Capra’s film is the story of the American dream. Quick- close your eyes. Go on, close them. What does the phrase “American dream” mean to you? If your interpretation of the dream involves owning your own home, making a name for yourself on your raw talents and effort, settling down with those you love and leaving a lasting impression on the world. I suppose it also involves living in a neighborhood where people work together, your children are safe, and you can keep your doors unlocked. Now picture Bedford Falls from It’s a Wonderful Life. It could be called the perfect town, could it not?
Now let’s take a moment to examine George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart). His dream is to become a world traveling explorer for many years before building great skyscrapers that tower indefinitely into the sky. He wants to get out of his hometown and make a life for himself on his terms. This is his American dream. Instead- he simply falls in love with a beautiful woman, makes an impact on his community by offering low cost homes to the poor, becomes a good and loving father while standing up against the oppressive forces of Mr. Potter (Lionel Barrymore). Of course the film’s irony (the message that it does nothing shy of beat us senseless with) is that everything George wants doesn’t matter and everything he ignores is all that matters. We examine a man’s life- with his hopes and dreams in mind- and then explore what actually happens to him. George does not do a single solitary thing that he dreams of in the beginning of the picture- but he plays the hand he was dealt and becomes loved for it.
This is what makes the film’s message universal: we all know a George Bailey. Half of us have been him at one point or another. We want to break free from our confines, explore the unknown, live life to its fullest, make a name for ourselves and all the other countless pieces of bullshit we feed into our minds. Often even when we achieve our dreams (particularly the dreams based on career status, money or power) we feel empty and wonder “what next.” Some of us buy stuff we don’t need- filling our lives with material possessions. Others eat to much, drink too much, use too much, gamble too much or screw too much. George Bailey is all of us in many ways but so few of us learn the lessons that he learns on that faithful Christmas Eve where Clarence the Angel (Harry Travers) comes and shows him what his would life would be like if he were never born. I suppose if we all had an experience with Clarence it would be much easier to be like George, running down the streets joyously screaming to the town.
Some claim the film has too much naïve innocence and blatant sentimentality. This may be true but I will take a happy tear over a sad tear any day of the week. Many of us have seen it more times that we can count and know its scenes by heart. Yet- how often do we forget its message? The film has been labeled a “Christmas movie” for decades but it really has nothing to do with the holidays- other than the night of Clarence’s visit just coincidentally falling on Christmas Eve. We don’t all have a Clarence- but most of us have a mirror and our memories. I am a poor hack that likes to write about movies on the internet. I have not achieved most of my dreams but I have a home with heat and air conditioning, a woman and three children that love me. I have some friends and who knows maybe this review will reach them somehow when they are faced with despair. Hell, don’t even read the review- just watch the movie if you haven’t seen it with someone you love. Share it with your kids. With all of the bad that is in this world its nice to know that there are some things that are still pure and good- even if it a cheesy little movie from the 1940’s.
In re-reading what I have written so far, I realize that I haven’t really talked much about the film itself. I haven’t said a word about its beautiful black and white photography, its wonderful performances or iconic imagery. I haven’t said a damn thing about a bell ringing and an angel getting its wings, or the Charleston, or the song Buffalo Gals. I have used Capra’s name only a couple of times in this review and have failed to mention the perfect performance of Donna Reed (Mary Bailey in the film). I suppose I know why. The film is not about what takes place on the screen but how it makes you feel as a human being. We relate to it on a subconscious and deeply emotional level. I think of It’s a Wonderful Life and realize that I can summarize the entire movie in about a paragraph but cannot do justice to the way it makes me feel. I could give damn if this makes me a sap. I watch the movie with the woman I love on the couch, wrapped up in a blanket with a bowl of popcorn and a tear in my eye. I examine my dreams, smile, and wish I was more like George Bailey- and how often I forget the many ways that I am.
-It’s a Wonderful Life has been registered at the United States Library of Congress as a national treasure. It has been named the most inspiring film of all time by the American Film Institute and it is the only film that has been shown on television annually every year since 1969.
Review and Analysis by Shaun Henisey
Cast and Credits:
George Bailey: Jimmy Stewart
Mary Bailey: Donna Reed
Mr. Potter: Lionel Barrymore
Clarence: Henry Travers
Republic Pictures presents A Frank Capra Picture. Screenplay by Frank Capra, Francis Goodrich and Albert Hackett
Running Time 130 Minutes. Not Rated (Suitable for All Audiences)