It's a Wonderful Life

I remember first seeing this film in my first year of university in the campus' student theater. In fact, the only three times I have seen this movie in its entirety was in a theater of some kind. This movie was better the first time I saw it due to the fact that most of the movie felt somewhat boring but had an amazing payoff. Thankfully I was forewarned about how slow the film may seem until the end nears. The second time I watched "It's a Wonderful Life", the whole movie was more tolerable but it makes the climax slightly less joyful as a result. Accordingly, I am reluctant to make this Christmas movie an annual tradition because I am afraid I will become desensitized to its drama and inspiration mood. I have the same fear with "Up". This is one of the most important American movies but back in 1946 and 47, not all moviegoers could tell that.

The opening prayers that start the movie are more meaningful the second time you watch it. The story has some resemblances to other Frank Capra films I have seen such as "Lady for a Day" and "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington". You can also make comparisons with Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol". The big difference with "It's a Wonderful Life" is the religious aspect of it. It is a little hard for me to consider this movie a fantasy because then it sounds like I am denying the existence of angels but then again, God isn't likely to create an alternate reality to help someone. He has other ways of teaching his children the importance of their existence. Just like in "Mr. Smith", James Stewart's character is a lone, moral man trying to stand up to corruption and greed. By doing so, he is forced to remain in his hometown. George wants to live the American dream by going from rags-to-riches and this creates sympathy for his character early on. It is a dream many of us share. The romance between George and Mary is also vital to the whole movie. It is one of those movie marriages that we all wish we had. The scene when George comes over to Mary's house is pretty dramatic. Once again, he is faced with a decision that may keep him stuck in Bedford Falls but his love for Mary becomes impossible for him to deny. The story has humor as well such as when Mary hides in the bush. George is such a good man that we know he is just teasing with Mary and that makes the scene so memorable. My favorite line is about how the cops would be on George's side. When Uncle Billy stumbles out of frame after Harry's wedding and runs into something, that wasn't scripted. Some equipment on the film set was accidentally knocked over and actor Thomas Mitchell improvised the line, "I'm all right." All the filmmakers did to this footage was add some more sound effects in post-production. Another improvised moment is the woman who asks George for $17. This amount of money was not scripted but Stewart stayed in character anyways. I enjoy coincidental jokes in movies, which is something that was not humorous when the film was released but became so later. Today when you hear the names Bert and Ernie, a different street in New York State other than Sycamore Street comes to mind. Another Jim Henson coincidental connection is the fact that the Bailey home was formerly the Waldorf Hotel. "It's a Wonderful Life" did deviate from many story conventions that existed at the time it was made such as the fact that Potter doesn't get his comeuppance by the end of the film. We can only hope that he later gets a "Christmas Carol" experience but if not, his punishment will be what Ebenezer Scrooge was able to avoid. In fact, Lionel Barrymore played Scrooge on radio and that fame is what got him the role as Potter. The best villains are those who go up against the greatest heroes. The handshake between George and Potter is a great illustration of this. George suddenly realizes that he is about to make a deal with the devil. He always kept Potter at bay in the past so why should he give in to him now? George's nobility is matched by Potter's malevolence. He is so lacking in heart that he falsely believes that George's friends will run him out of town upon hearing that the Building and Loan is apparently not honest in its dealings. In his desperate state, George comes to believe that he is worth more dead than alive. He isn't running away from his family but he mistakenly thinks he is doing what's best for everyone. One alternate reality later and he sees what a mistake it was to think about killing himself. He is overly happy to see his crashed car and broken banister once again. My favorite moments in the climax are when the bank examiner donates money to the pile and when the arrest warrant is ripped up. The reason this movie will continue to inspire generations yet unborn are its themes. If I had to put the central theme of "It's a Wonderful Life" into one phrase it would be that family, friends and servicing others is worth more than worldly success. George learns that he has lived the American Dream after all because the riches he enjoys are his friends and family.

"It's a Wonderful Life" received five Oscar nominations including Best Picture, Director, Actor (Stewart), Editing and Sound Recording. The film did win a Technical Achievement Oscar for its use of snow. Before this movie, artificial snow was noisy and required dubbing of the actors' lines. A new kind of fake snow was created for this film and it worked so well in my opinion but not just for the look of the film. It allowed the original performances of the actors to be preserved. Had the movie's release date not been moved up to December 1946 from January 1947, this movie might have won Best Picture in 1948. The competition with other movies made in 1946 was very high. Frank Capra did win a Golden Globe for directing however. As with "The Wizard of Oz", this movie became more popular in future years thanks to television. There is a rumor that this film was a box office bomb when it was first released. Actually it was able to make its money back but because of the aforementioned competition and a high budget, it was a disappointing gross for the studio. Frank Capra films usually did better that this because the director already had three Oscars by this time. Because of the lack of success of "It's a Wonderful Life" in theaters, Capra's company went bankrupt and Stewart had doubts about his talents since coming back from World War II. It was in the late 70's when the film became popular on TV at Christmastime, surprising all those who worked on it. This is my favorite performance from Academy Award winning actor Jimmy Stewart and it is my favorite Capra film as well. Another Oscar winner, Olivia de Havilland from "Gone With the Wind" and "The Adventures of Robin Hood", was considered for the role of Mary and I can accept that possibility. Vincent Price was considered to play Potter but the role as mentioned went to Lionel Barrymore, a member of the famous Hollywood family. The American Film Institute has named "It's a Wonderful Life" as the most inspiring movie of all time. You can also find the movie on the AFI lists for greatest movies (#20) and greatest movie romances (#8). George Bailey is #9 on the list of heroes and Mr. Potter is #6 on the list of villains. It is also the third greatest fantasy movie according to the AFI after "The Wizard of Oz" and "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring". Seneca Falls, New York, which was the inspiration for Bedford Falls, has a "Wonderful Life" festival every year as well as a Hotel and Museum named in honor of the film. I drove past that town once and I wish I had known its significance back then.

"It's a Wonderful Life" has inspired numerous TV show episodes and other movies such as "Shrek Forever After", "The Family Man" and "One Magic Christmas" ever since. By default, it is my favorite movie from 1946. Frank Capra made the movie in defiance of atheism and while everyone has a right to believe what he or she will, I am glad this movie will always be evidence for the existence of a God. The proof comes by means of the feelings you get after the movie is over. It is hard not to feel happy afterwards and I don't believe this spirit comes from nowhere. The movie's inspirational power is further proof. I hope to preserve the spirit of this movie so that it is powerful every time I see it.

4.5 Stars