This one\’s a given, right? Possibly one of the most iconic Christmas movies ever, you might think an esteemed website such as ours would be above choosing the obvious, but no. We\’re all about conforming to the masses. Seriously though, It\’s A Wonderful Life may be a bit of a cliché as far as choosing Christmas movies goes, but there\’s a reason why it is so iconic and popular — because it really is a wonderful film. But in what way?
The film starts out focused on some heavenly bodies discussing the circumstances of a man named George (James Stewart). Apparently he\’s about to kill himself, and they decide to send down a second-class (as yet wingless) angel to help him get back on the right path. We follow George\’s life from when he was a child, saving his brother, losing his hearing, working at the local drugstore, to growing up working at his father\’s company, and marrying the-girl-that-was-there-all-along Mary (Donna Reed), plus all inbetween. And we watch as this wonderful young man time and time again gets thwarted from his lifelong dream of travelling the world, and his spirit and character gets chipped away. His life and bad luck finally collide one Christmas eve when he comes upon the realisation that he is financially worth more dead than alive, and that killing himself may solve everyone\’s problems. Enter Clarence (Henry Travers) the would-be angel who, A Christmas Carol-style, shows George a different point of view on what life would be like without him, and tries to get George to realise his own self-worth.
Pretty gloomy stuff for a supposed uplifting Christmas movie, right? OK, yes, from the get-go we know that the main character is suicidal. Bummer. But then we follow George — a compassionate, generous, intelligent, and all-round good guy — throughout his life as he gets opportunities only to lose them at the worst moments. He gets a few wins, but he never seems to really get right on top of everything the way a main character usually does (or at least, as you would expect for a Christmas movie). And in that sense, the film is hard to watch because the character of George, and in turn James Stewart who is possibly the best example of Most Likeable Actor Ever, is such a great person, and you love him, but he never gets that one big dream of his. He meets the perfect girl for him and has a happy family, he pretty much saves the town where he lives, he leads a good life, and when Clarence shows him what would\’ve happened if he never existed, it\’s obvious that things would have been so much more worse off for all the people George cares about. But selfishly, I want George to be happy with his life and have his dream come true, not just be the reason that everyone else doesn\’t have shitty lives. Where\’s George\’s personal win?
Frank Capra\’s films deal with these kinds of characters and themes, and when you watch his films, you do so with a smile on your face, because they are lovely. They are funny and sweet, with great lines and relatable but still interesting life situations, plus that black and white still looks gorgeous. And I suppose one of the messages of the movie is that you need to realise that you yourself have worth, and to be happy about the small, overlooked things in life, because Life Is Wonderful. In theory, I see how this is the Christmas Movie above others, because George \”comes to his senses\”, and the happy ending where everyone in town, who he has helped many times, give money to get him out of trouble. And he\’s finally aware and thankful for all that he has. But on a personal level, I\’m just a little depressed that George doesn\’t just be bit more selfish at one point and say \”Fuck you guys, I\’m going to Argentina\”. Being selfish is a Christmas message too right?