195. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Running Time: 130 minutes
Directed By: Frank Capra
Written By: Philip Van Doren Stern, Frances Goodrich
Main Cast: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Henry Travers, Thomas Mitchell
Click here to view the trailer

ON MY JOURNEY I SAW AN ANGEL SAVE A MAN

With the Christmas season officially kicking off yesterday, at about the time Santa Claus was being courted down Main Street, New York City as part of the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, I figured it would only be fitting for me to watch "It's a Wonderful Life" and allow Jimmy Stewart's George Baily to fill me with holiday spirit.

"What is it you want, Mary? What do you want? You want the moon? Just say the word and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down. Hey. That's a pretty good idea. I'll give you the moon, Mary"

 

George Bailey (Stewart) is the greatest man you'd ever want to meet. He resides in Bedford Falls and even at an early age, he had a penchant for helping people. When he was just twelve-years-old, George jumped into a freezing lake to rescue his little brother Harry, losing the hearing in his left ear. However, George is all grown up now and has big dreams. His plans include traveling the world, going to college and then becoming an architect. George plans to "kick the dust of this crummy little town off his feet" and become somebody - words he tells to Mary Hatch on a romantic evening stroll home from Harry's graduation festivities. On that very same stroll, George finds out, via his Uncle Billy (Mitchell) that his father has had a stroke. His father later dies and George stays behind to see to the family business, the Bailey Bros. Building and Loan. When George gives a passionate speech in front of the board of directors, prompting them to keep the Building and Loan open and reject chief shareholder Mr. Potter's idea of halting home loans for working families, the board agrees - but only if George stays behind to manage the Building and Loan. With the idea that Harry will return home from college in four years and take George's spot, so that he can then commence with his plans, George accepts. However, things continually go unaccording to plan and when Harry returns home, he does so with a new wife and a promising future, one that George doesn't have the heart to dash. Meanwhile, Mary and George's relationship continues to blossom and is the one thing that George can rely on.

SPOILER ALERT!

I'm not one of these people who has seen "It's a Wonderful Life" umpteen times, can quote it and who watches it every single Christmas, come hell or high water. This viewing probably makes my second or third and every time I watch it, I'm a little less than impressed. Sure, it's a Capra picture, starring Jimmy Stewart and it's certainly GOOD, but is it as fantastically, life changing as everyone makes it out to be...not in this movie reviewers eyes. Now, despite those last few sentences, I'll go ahead and tell you now that "It's a Wonderful Life" has, at least, a good shot of making a "Ten Worth Mentioning" spot on my next TOP 20. All I'm saying is that I'm not quite as gaga for it as others. However, much like everyone else, I do love Jimmy Stewart and felt that in "It's a Wonderful Life" he was cast 100% correctly and does a marvelous job portraying down on his luck, everyman George Bailey. Much like "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington", Capra lays a lot of ground work in hopes that the finale will payoff the entire movie and all the investment you've put into these characters. I feel that "Mr. Smith" does a better job of paying off the audience and I'm also of the opinion that the ending to "It's a Wonderful Life" is a bit too stretched out and drags on a little too long. George is shown a world in which he never existed, via Clarence and having to listen to him, over and over, refuse to believe that Clarence is genuine or that he's really being shown a George-less world becomes a little tiresome. Then, he finally realizes that it is true, snaps back to reality, runs home and we're finished before you can say "Hark the Herald Angels Sing".

However, Jimmy Stewart does have an uncanny ability to take a script and squeeze every bit of life and raw emotion out of it as possible. He takes what he's given - mere words on a page and truly makes them his own and breathes life into them with his passion. When you talk about great actors and I mean actor's who are on a completely different level than everyone else, then for me Jimmy Stewart is on that level and always will be. Be prepared to whistle or sing "Buffalo Gal Won't You Come Out Tonight" after watching this one and keep your eyes peeled for numerous Stewart speeches and of course, the "Lasso Around the Moon" scene.

RATING: 7/10  Let's play it safe and call it a '7'. I'm not sure if that will stick, as I could see it rising or lowering in due time, but for now it seems about right. Also, in case you weren't aware, "It's a Wonderful Life" is barely a Christmas movie and can probably be enjoyed year round.

MOVIES WATCHED: 586
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 415

November 23, 2012  6:48pm