For as far back as I can remember, every year on Thanksgiving Day I have to watch the "classic" movie "It's A Wonderful Life". Even though it was never attended to be a Christmas movie, it's still a tradition of mine to watch it as much as possible from Thanksgiving until Christmas Day. The timeless classic of the love of a family and knowing if you have a wonderful family and friends who will help you out it truly is a wonderful life remains in a lot of hearts as a true Christmas movie.
"It's A Wonderful Life" was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director (Frank Capra), Best Actor (James Stewart), Best Editing, and best Best Sound at the Academy Awards in 1946. It did win an award for best director (Capra).
“It’s a Wonderful Life” starts out showing the small all American small town of Bedford Falls, with a beautiful snowfall covering the streets. We then hear George Bailey’s (The wonderful James Stewart) friends and families praying from inside their houses for someone to watch over him in his time of need.
George Bailey is a boy with big dreams. He wants to travel the world and go to college. He wants to learn how to build skyscrapers and houses so he can make the world a better place or at least Bedford Falls. He wants to make it so he can run Bedford Falls and not mean old Mr. Potter (Lionel Barrymore), who keeps trying to get Bailey Building and Loan so he can own all of Bedford Falls. But, along the way George runs into many obstacles that ruin his hopes and dreams.
After the heavenly bodies up above hear all the prayers needed for George Bailey on his crucial night they send for Clarence. Clarence is an angel who is still in need of his wings. If Clarence can help George he will be granted his wings at last. Before Clarence is sent down to earth to help his human subject he must first learn a little about George and what is making him want to take his life on Christmas Eve.
First we see George Bailey as a 12-year old boy in 1919. George, Harry (George’s 8 year old younger brother) and some of his friends are sledding down a hill. When it comes to Harry’s turn he goes to far and falls through the ice and into the frigid water. It’s George who saves his brother, at the same time catching a bad cold and loses his hearing in his left ear. There are two things that happen here that will be crucial later on—George losing his hearing and him saving his brother’s life.
We see George at his after school job, where he works for old man Gower. Mr. Gower is grieving after gets a telegram telling him his son has suddenly died of influenza. George catches Mr. Gower’s mistake before he delivers the prescription and lets Mr. Gower know he has done something wrong and he accidently put poison into the boy’s prescription.
Now we jump ahead to 1928. George is ready to make his dream of traveling come true. He stops to buy the perfect suitcase to take along with him, with enough room on the front to put stickers from all of his travels. He receives a beautiful suitcase from his old boss Mr. Gower.
After a talk with his father about the family business and how his father hopes he will one day take over so Bailey Building and Loan stays in the family George decides to go to his brother Harry’s high school graduation. In a memorable scene George dances in the Charleston contest with Mary (Donna Reed) his future wife and mother to his children. When a jealous guy hits the button to open the floor revealing the pool George and Mary fall in.
George walks Mary home after the graduation. Their talking about life and George throws a rock and breaks the window to an old mansion and makes a wish. Mary does the same but doesn’t tell what she wished for. Which we all know is to some day live in the old run down mansion with George and have a family of their own.
This same night George’s plans of traveling are put on hold after he learns his father had a stroke and passed away. A few months later when George is ready to go to college his plans are put on hold again when the bank decides the only way Mr. Potter won’t get the Building and Loan is if George takes it over. For four years George works at the bank while his brother Harry goes to college in his place.
When Harry arrives home 4 years later George’s plans to go to college are looking bright until Harry announces he got married and his wife’s father offered Harry a good job in Buffalo. Again George’s plans are put on hold so Harry can pursue is career in Buffalo.
When George’s mother urges him to go visit Mary who just got home from college they learn they are meant to be together and end up getting married. On their way to their honeymoon the Building and Loan runs into a problem and Mary and George use the money to travel and give it to their customers so they can keep the bank open. George’s plans are put on hold again so he can provide for Mary and the 4 kids they end up having over the next several years.
George’s breaking point comes when his uncle Billy misplaces $8,000 of the banks money and George takes the blame and has a warrant out for his arrest, compliments of mean old Mr. Potter. He is so upset about his future and his family he yells at his daughter to stop playing the piano and yells at his son about how to spell a word for his homework. In a fit of anger George runs out of the house and goes to Mr. Potter to ask for an $8,000 loan so his family has money to live. When Mr. Potter won’t help and puts out a warrant for his arrest, he goes to Martini’s to drink his sorrows away. Where he ends up getting hit in the face and then drives off and hits a tree.
At the end of his ropes George runs to a bridge and his thinking of taking his own life when Clarence falls out of the sky (literally) to save George from jumping. Clarence grants George is wish to never have been born and to see how life would be without him. George learns his brother would have died since he wasn’t there to save him, his wife would be an old maid working as a Liberian, his kids would have never been born, Mr. Gower would have went to jail for poisoning the boy, Building and Loan would have closed and Mr. Potter would have owned the whole town and it would be named Potterville.
After seeing all of this George runs back to the bridge and begs for his life back no matter what. He wants to be with his wife and kids and will pay the consequences. George runs through snow-covered Bedford Falls wishing everyone Merry Christmas. He soon returns home and runs up the stairs to his kids and looking for Mary who is out looking for him.
After talking to Uncle Billy Mary finds out what was wrong with George and gets the whole town to help George out and keep him from going to jail and losing the Building and Loan. The best part is when everyone is singing, a bell on the Christmas tree rings and George’s youngest daughter ZuZu says, “Teacher says every time a bell rings and angel gets their wings”. Just then George notices a book on the table with all the money and inside is a note from Clarence written inside thanking him for his wings.
There are a few downsides to “It’s a Wonderful Life” like the scenes when George is thinking of taking is life and that woman can’t make it on there own and need a husband around or they would be old maids. But the good points are showing us family and friends are wonderful and if you have that you truly have a wonderful life. Also it shows how just one life can touch so many others.
I would recommend “It’s a Wonderful Life” to anyone who wants a movie that makes them think and has some wonderful acting from James Stewart and the whole cast of characters and a great story line. I would recommend watching the movie in the black and white version to get the whole affect of the movie. I watched the color version once and it just wasn’t the same.
This review is part of the "Favorite Christmas Movie" write-off I'm hosting. Be sure to check out the following participants to see what their favorite Christmas movie is. Thanks to all who participated. AinsleyJo, AmyLEnsor, BedrockTime, bgoodday, bmcnichol, bpotter1, caleo, cbgresh, ChrisJarmick, CjsMommy, dandj, dreamcatcher39, erin5oaks, frazzledspice, Grouch, HawgWyld, ifif1938, janesbit1, JBduckling, jenninca, jenni1396, Josh_G, keithpruitt, kelly60, KingJFS, lucky43560, Macresarf1, Magick1, martytdx, monical2me, msmorvay, onecoolcat, pacbaystat, phineaskc, Poseidon, Presleysmama, sawasdee, seracorde11, shadow8, splitsurround, SPodgorski, teskue, Viper1963
Make this uplifting 1946 classic a holiday tradition in your home! Meet down-and-out businessman George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart); his tireless wife, Mar...More at Christianbook.com
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