December means the hunt for Christmas classics and what better way to celebrate the season by watching the iconic film It’s a Wonderful Life (1946).
George Bailey (James Stewart) has always been a caring human being throughout his entire life by putting other people’s needs before his own. His empathy, however, comes at a cost of sacrificing his passionate pursuits in order to manage his honorable father’s Building and Loan business–he would do anything to prevent Mr. Potter (Lionel Barrymore) from greedily controlling the humble hometown of Bedford Falls. When George desperately reaches a breaking point in his life and considers committing suicide, a guardian angel trainee Clarence (Henry Travers) is sent down from heaven to help George understand how his life has crucially impacted and touched the lives of many others.
The most important relationship that George has is with his partner Mary (Donna Reed). I thoroughly enjoyed the romantic tension that they had before officially becoming a couple. The moments where they share screen time together alone is sweet and privately intimate (with the occasional side characters–including myself–begging them to kiss already!). Their love for each other is innocently touching while reminding us of the importance of being an understanding, supportive lover. Despite a moment that may be outdated to the modern feminist rhetoric of today, please watch the film in the context of the time in which it is was produced.
With the majority of the film being told through an omniscient point of view while carrying A Christmas Carol vibes, the audience becomes immersed in who George is and how he became the man he is today. His character qualities of compassion and morality shine so brightly that it would be hard not to fall for his honest charisma. And, because of the fact that the movie is two hours long, I would find it rather impossible to finish the film without feeling touched or being teary eyed by his personal journey. Witnessing his emotional endeavor slowly builds to a dramatic climax and concludes with a wholesome, cathartic ending.
The main theme of It’s a Wonderful Life begs us to ask a simple question: What defines riches in our lives? Is it the amount of money in your pocket or the amount of love in your heart for others?
If 2020 has taught anything, it would be that it definitely helped us reevaluate the things that are most important to us. For those of you who are struggling to maintain a steady wage to support yourself and/or your family and/or lost a loved one in the process of the pandemic, I send my deepest condolences. To shine a glimmer of hope, our times of loss have made us value the things and those who are still here for us. We must hold them close (within social distancing means, of course) and cherish all the things shared among one another, no matter how big or small. One must truly remember that they are not alone in this struggle or in any other struggle, in general. It is during this time of uncertainty and darkness that kindness, compassion, and a lending hand should definitely be shared–and it will definitely be returned back to you in a multitude of ways.
So, for this Christmas/Holiday Season, I hope that you, my fellow reader, are able to surround yourself, either virtually or in person (while following COVID guidelines respectively), with the people that you love most. You deserve it. I encourage you to call and keep in touch with those who have been there for you all along or those who you remember that you haven’t contacted in a while. This year will definitely be a different Christmas, but definitely one not to be forgotten.
I wish you all the best to have a safe holiday and cherish yourself living and existing in this present moment, for the lives that we are living right now truly are meaningful not only for ourselves but for those all around us, too.
To be human, to live, to laugh, to love–It truly is A Wonderful Life.
It’s A Wonderful Life is available on Amazon Prime, USA Network, NBC, and soon to be on your local TV listing.
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Christine's Cinema Corner 