Holiday Streams: Why It’s a Wonderful Life is still an important Christmas movie
The film teaches its viewer how every life has its meaning, and how each life touches many other
Dec 19, 2021
The world as a whole has been going through a lot mentally following the pandemic and all the countless lockdowns. Even before all this, people sometimes find their own life worthless and meaningless. This is a condition that can affect the person in all sorts of ways from personal life to the professional. Most importantly, this keeps the person down and can even cause them issues with themselves.
In 1946, Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life was released in the United States and became a staple in teaching its viewers lessons about how each life matters in many ways. Since then, this black and white movie set around a beautiful Christmas season has become a movie that is a must-watch on Christmas day. But after 75 years since its release, how is It’s a Wonderful Life still a movie that plays a massive role in boosting self morale, self-love and self-respect?
The movie starts off on a Christmas night when George Bailey contemplates ending his life. Played by the iconic James Stewart, Bailey is a man who has given up on his own dreams and ambitions to leave this small town, in order to stay and find ways to help the people of his small town. But as Bailey decides to jump down the town bridge to find solace in death, someone else beats him to it. And Bailey, who the movie soon shows us is a man who is willing to sacrifice himself for others, takes the leap with the person to save him.
But Bailey understands that this man is indeed an angel, who has intervened in order to save his life. The two soon set off on an amazing journey through Bailey’s life in order to show him how his life has affected other people’s lives and how these lives would have been if George was never born.
It’s a Wonderful Life pulls off a miracle in itself at the end of the movie. It is able to teach its audience a set of lessons that would have a positive touch on their own lives.
In the movie, Clarence, the angel tells Geroge, "Strange, Isn't It? Each Man's Life Touches So Many Other Lives. When He Isn't Around He Leaves An Awful Hole, Doesn't He?". By the time this is delivered, a sense of approval would have started forming in the viewer’s mind. If in the start you feel this for the movie’s protagonist, this soon turns into a feeling you have for yourself. We understand how your own life has affected countless others, and that every breath you take is a gift in itself.
In the movie, when the townsfolk of Bedford Falls, where the movie is set, come together to pool money to give George, for him to pay the big sum he owes, it is another example of what one’s life means. Harry, Geroge’s brother also adds, "A Toast To My Big Brother George. The Richest Man In Town". While this is a trope we see in most movies looking for a feel-good ending, the thing with It’s a Wonderful Life is that at least once you ponder on the chances of it happening to you and you realise that even you have reasons to be happy.
Another reason the movie is still a must-watch Christmas movie is that you get to see the path George takes and the state of realisation he reaches at the end. When in the final scenes of the movie Clarence says, "You See George, You Really Had A Wonderful Life", the protagonist understands this is indeed true. And the fact of the matter is that as the viewer, at this point you would have also understood this fact and would have accepted it. And this is indeed the power of the movie.
Apart from all these reasons It’s a Wonderful Life is a movie that is well made and has everything you would need to keep you occupied and happy on Christmas Eve. From immortal love scenes such as when Geroge tells Mary that he could throw a lasso around the moon and pull it down to give to her to when George tells the villainous money hogging Mr Potter how his father died richer than him in his book, these are all scenes in a movie that could be a cold breeze even on the hottest day.
With scene after scene and multiple lines that reminds one of the powers they hold in the world, regardless of what they feel or think about themselves, It’s a Wonderful Life is still a very important movie that cannot be forgotten and could play an important role in society and in individuals more than ever.
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