Favorite Holiday Movies: It's a Wonderful Life (1947)

How many of us have ever wished that we could have a different life? What if we could start over? Unfortunately, no one lives in a vacuum. If we were to be erased from the fabric of time, the lives of everyone we knew would be affected. This is the case in Frank Capra’s movie classic, It’s A Wonderful Life starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed.

What makes It’s A Wonderful Life so special? It’s hard to pinpoint just one thing. The acting of Jimmy Stewart is one reason. When you have a strong actor in the leading role, he elevates the performances of everyone else in the cast. The acting overall was good, but Jimmy Stewart made it better. His character, George Bailey, is a complex man who does daily battle within himself over what he wants in life.

From a young age, George’s penchant for saving the day becomes apparent. He almost seems too good to be true, but that’s because the focus of the film is his valiant moments. A word or deed performed by you has changed the course of someone’s life even if the change was barely noticeable at the time. We interact with so many people each day that it’s impossible not to leave a lasting impression on at least one of them. But, like all humans, George Bailey sees his heroism as a detriment. He measures success in dollars and cents. With the Bailey Building and Loan albatross around his neck, he views his life as a failure. Even marriage to the woman he loves doesn’t change his narrow outlook.

One monumental disaster drives George to the brink of suicide. Enter Clarence Oddbody, Angel second class. Clarence is assigned to George to grant his request. George is given a chance to see what life would be like without him. At first, George believes that he is dreaming. Little by little, the drama builds as George realizes something is terribly wrong. The people he knew had changed for the worst. No everyone’s life would be ruined if one person never existed, but the goal of the movie is to show that one man’s life can make a difference.