It's A Wonderful Life (1946)

I've managed to avoid watching It's A Wonderful Life over my lifetime along with a few other much beloved Christmas films.  Technically calling this a Christmas film is a bit of a stretch considering nothing about the story really has anything to do with the holiday other than the final 25 minutes of the film occurred during Christmas.  But none of that prevents It's A Wonderful Life from being played during the holiday seasons, and maybe rightly so, while the holidays prove to be joyous for some people they can literally be the season for pushing some people over the edge, if that's your situation It's A Wonderful Life might be a film worth checking out and helping you see we all have something to be thankful for.

Jimmy Stewart is George Bailey, a bright young man with high hopes of becoming an architect and traveling the world, but every-time George is about to set forth on his big adventure something always seems to pull him back.  The truth is George is a genuine nice guy, and when his father passes away the town looks to George to take over the family business of Baily Building and Loan, otherwise they will be forced to close leaving the town completely be under the control of old cranky Mr. Potter, whose only willing to take advantage of everyone, not help them out.  George agrees to stay, although he continues to pine for freedom from his small town of Bedford Falls, but as the days grow into years and George gets married, has kids and grows older he begins to realize his dreams of leaving Bedford Falls are unlikely to become a reality, somethings always holding him back.

It's A Wonderful Life really hits it's stride when George's Uncle Billy loses the Building and Loan's only tangible assets of $8,000.  While preparing a deposit at the bank Billy mistakenly places the envelope of cash into Mr. Potter's newspaper while talking to him.  Potter being a legitimate Scrooge never reveals that he has the money relishing in the fact he's finally got an opportunity to put Baily (whose been a thorn in his side for years) out of business and he won't pass it up.  Distraught Uncle Billy tells George the news, George realizes that if they can't find the money he'll be going to jail!  After searching everywhere and nearing his wits end George contemplates ending his life not just over the money, but over the fact that the town of Bedford Falls has held him back from becoming the man he had originally wanted to be.  But a visit from George's guardian angel, Clarence, might be the remedy he needs to finally make him realize the kind of truly wonderful life he does have.

For me a majority of this film is nothing incredibly special.  It's A Wonderful Life is really somewhat of a bizarro version of a Christmas Carol, with Bob Cratchit (George Bailey) realizing the life he had was pretty great once he discovers what all his friends and family would become without him, instead of Scrooge (Mr. Potter) learning how great everyone's life would be without him.  It's not until the film's peak, when Uncle Billy loses the money and George is about to leap off the bridge that I found the story really interesting and emotional.  

Aside from that the film does have a rather campy Leave It To Beaver feel to it, but this was made in the 1940's so I'll give it some slack.  My biggest obstacle was the progression of time and how I'm supposed to believe Jimmy Stewart as a college kid and Donna Reed as eighteen, c'mon.  Even worse is Mr. Potter who looks about 75 when George is a child and happens to still be alive by the film's conclusion some supposed thirty years later!  I know old misers have the will to live a long time but this has to be some sort of record! Overall, I give It's A Wonderful Life an average score for an entertaining 3/4's and an extra point for an outstanding conclusion.

8/10

  

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