The 1946 supernatural Christmas movie It’s a Wonderful Life, directed by Frank Capra, follows the story of George Bailey and his struggles as a banker in Bedford Falls. As a kid, my grandpa told me about this movie and how much he loved it. It was an old black-and-white film, so I didn’t think much of it but told him I would watch it someday. Around this time two years ago, after his unfortunate passing, I finally got around to watching the movie, and I don’t know why I waited so long. When the credits rolled, and I finally cleaned my eyes from the tears, I realized why my grandpa loved this movie so much and why I think everyone should enjoy this movie as much as I did.
Content Warning: This article discusses the depiction of suicidal thoughts which may be triggering for some readers. Please exercise personal care while reading.
Bedford Falls
Set in a small town called Bedford Falls, George Bailey, played by James Stewart, is a banker who greatly cares for the town’s citizens. Upon his college graduation, he planned to do a grand tour of the world, but due to a sudden stroke, his father’s death caused him to postpone so he could take over the family business. He and his uncle Billy ran the Bailey Brothers Building and Loan office, much to the chagrin of Henry Potter, a bank owner who had most of the town in his pocket. Under George’s leadership, the company created Bailey Park, a housing development that surpassed Potter’s overpriced slums.
Potter has a chance to ruin the Bailey business when he accidentally steals money from the Bailey’s and blames George for its missing. George feels he failed the town, his family, and himself, so he runs to a bridge and wishes he was never born. A man tells him his wish has been granted, and George sees what the town of Bedford Falls would be if he were never born. The town looks worse, and the people in George’s life are miserable. George realizes the good he has done for Bedford Falls and begs for his old life back.
George’s life in the movie depicts a struggle between serving one’s dreams and serving their community. From a young man, George wanted to visit the world and see what it offers, but as he aged and saw what was happening to his community, he felt obligated to toss aside his dream and bring up Bedford Falls through his late father’s business. Without George, his brother would have died as a child, his wife would have married a horrible man, his friends would have gone down bad paths, and the town of Bedford Falls would be run by the greedy banker Potter. George’s selfless decision to abandon his dreams and serve the community bettered the lives of everyone around him. But George, in his depressing state, could only see his recent failure and was unable to see the shining light he was to the people around him.
The Greatest Gift
Written by Philip Van Doren Stern, The Greatest Gift is a short story that inspired Frank Capra to create the Christmas classic. Unable to find a publisher for the story, Stern published it in a small pamphlet and sent it out as a Christmas card. Somehow, the story ended up in Capra’s hands, which was the first domino to fall that helped create this film.
In the story, George Pratt contemplates suicide as he is dissatisfied with his life. While standing on a bridge on Christmas Eve, George is approached by a well-mannered but poorly dressed man. The two converse, and Pratt tells him he wishes he was never born. And the man tells him his wish has been granted.
Back in town, George finds that no one knows him. Much like the film version of George, his friends, his brother, and his wife had worse lives because of George’s absence. George returns to the bridge and talks with the strange man again, who tells him that George wanted more, but he already received the best gift of all: the gift of life. George begs for his life back and the man grants it. George ran home and hugged his wife and kids, telling them he thought he lost them forever.
It’s a Wonderful Life
This movie is over seventy years old, and it shows. Aside from the obvious black-and-white appearance, the actors’ acting methods are classical, and the setting is something that the modern era can never return to. It’s a wonderful peek at an era lost to time, filled with a cute romance, an evil banker, a family man trying his best, and a struggle to find a reason to go on living. Surprisingly, this movie flopped in the box office, and Capra lost money on its debut. It wasn’t until the movie fell into the public domain and was televised on different networks that it became successful as a classic holiday movie.
In the end, the title of the film says it best. It’s a wonderful life. It’s not always going to be filled with rainbows and singing birds. No matter how hard a person may try, some things are destined to fail, whether through negligence or accident. But that’s why it’s a wonderful life. It’s impossible to admire a rainbow without rain to create the colors. Life is wonderful because of everything that happens, and it’s moments of difficulty that people need to reflect on the greatness of this strange rock we all live on and cherish it for its unpredictable times.
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