Day 25: It’ s A metformin 1000 mg day Wonderful Life (1946)
Clarence: You’ve been given a great gift, George: A chance to see what the world would be like without you.
For the past 24 days we’ve looked back on Christmas and holiday movies that in short make us feel good. Die Hard definitely makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Eli feels the same about Bad Santa. James loves Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Connor has newfound love for Finland’s version of a Christmas Story. Kelsy loves her musicals and White Christmas. Alex loves Elf. The point being, everyone has their favorite, and everyone feels that way for a very specific reason. But seldom do you find a film that is so universally agreed upon and so timeless.
It’s A Wonderful Life is the ultimate feel good Christmas movie of all time. It’s the original, and being from 1946, it’s easy to think that this is exactly the kind of film Connor was talking about when referring to A Christmas Story surviving on nostalgia and nostalgia alone. That’s a certainly understandable point of view, and most of the time is pretty accurate when referring to some of the “classics.” But if you say that about Frank Capra’s Christmas classic, you’re just plain wrong.
Why are you wrong? First there’s Jimmy Stewart. He’s the quintessential lovable actor, and George Bailey is one of the most lovable characters in cinema history. Stewart is the original Tom Hanks, and who doesn’t love Tom Hanks (that’s a rhetorical question, so don’t even think about saying you don’t, because if you do, and publicly, I will hate you forever)? Life holds up because of Stewart, because of the story and because of how relatable it is. There are so many that have come since that tell the same story of a man (or woman) taking their life for granted and believing there to be a better one out there somewhere. But when you get a glimpse of that other life, no matter how good it may seem on the surface, it’s always missing the things you hold dear and don’t realize how dear they are until they’re gone.
George Bailey’s journey in this film is so heartwarming because of the truth in Stewart’s performance. It’s funny, it’s sad, it’s redemptive and joyful. It’s everything you want a Christmas movie to be. It makes you feel so good about yourself and about George Bailey.
This film has no nostalgic reference for me. I didn’t see it until I was in college and I’m the first to call a film out for how heavily it relies on that factor (I’m tempted to call out a HUGE one on this, but then you might stop listening to me, and stop reading this website altogether). So trust me when I say this is not one of those films. If you haven’t seen it already go buy it, rent it, do whatever you must to find it. It’s worth your time and your money. And it may even teach you a little something.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone at take148, writers and readers alike.
