It’s A Wonderful Life (DVD) Review
The quintessential Christmas classic, It's A Wonderful Life has dominated the holiday TV landscape with its timeless story of affection, friendship, and a kind man's exceedingly relevant life. Filmed in 1947, this Frank Capra masterpiece debuted in theaters to what could best certainly be a lukewarm reception. Yet it quickly rose in stature following repeated annual television airings in the 1960s, a Christmas tradition that continues to this day. Focused on the life of George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart), a likeable, ambitious resident of Bedford Falls who harbors hopes for grandeur, the film sets out to portray a viewpoint of the world in which the divine's ultimate plan might be far different from our own. Yet the consequence of that plan's much better than we're able to ever imagine...
Because the film begins, we obtain a glimpse in to the life and times of a George Bailey, an upstanding and studious fellow who manages to avert two potential disasters by the age of ten. Underneath the employ of neighborhood druggist Mr. Gower, Bailey prevents the delivery of a poison prescription, and while enjoying the boyhood wonders of the local ice pond, he rescues his younger brother from certain death by pulling him from a patch of broken ice.
From all of these early years, the storyline jumps many years in to the future, where a grown up and infectiously optimistic George harbors wild dreams of world travel, exploration, and also the construction of huge buildings. But inevitably, he stays in Bedford Falls to be able to keep on the household business, the little yet popular Bailey Savings & Loan (the only real lender in Bedford Falls not of the unmerciful tycoon Mr. Potter). As the years pass, Bailey must deal with their own family problems, his unfulfilled dreams, and the burdens from the Great Depression. Along the way, he's tempted with offers of vast wealth and travel opportunities through the conniving Potter, but he always turns him down, opting to work for the benefit of the city instead.
However, if an apparently innocent snafu threatens to lower your Bailey Savings & Loan, George ponders the unthinkable. He questions his very existence and the value of his life. Disillusioned by feelings of failure along with a pessimistic outlook for future years, he does not begin to see the true value of his life. Ultimately, only divine intervention and the warm hearts of the people of Bedford Falls can modify George's outlook and force to him to recognize the extraordinary life he's lived...
The innate power of It is a Wonderful Life comes from the strength of numerous performances, most notably those of Jimmy Stewart. Much like Tom Hanks today, Stewart played the role from the everyman during his long tenure in Hollywood. He may have lacked the sex appeal of Clark Gabel or even the cowboy virility of John Wayne, but he fit perfectly in the mold of best friend and loveable guy. In a feel-good, fairy tale film such as this one, Stewart is cast perfectly, and he's well complemented with a host of others... Cure could play the role of the grumpy miser much better than Lionel Barrymore? Overall, it's a recipe for silver screen excellence.
It is a Wonderful Life illuminates a nearly magical setting with its idyllic portrayal of Depression-era, small-town America. Each character (with the exception of Mr. Potter), harkens back to a simpler time when public attitudes toward morality prevailed, where neighbors knew one another by name, and where communities helped one another out. Further strengthening the allure of the film, George Bailey and the friends are likeable characters who develop a strong rapport using the audience, forcing the viewer to actively root for that desired outcome. It's this personal reference to the crowd (and an audience capability to relate to the overriding themes) which is the key to the enduring success of this film. Having spent over five decades as America's most popular Christmas movie, It's A Wonderful Life deserves mention among the ranks of the all-time classics of cinema.