It’s almost eleven years since we first watched the classic film ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’, and while we recalled the basic idea, which is fairly well-known, we had entirely forgotten all the details.
Made in 1946, the film is black and white, but after a moment’s adjustment, it didn’t matter at all. James Stewart stars as George Bailey, who is a frustrated, depressed and very worried businessman.
We don’t know why he’s like that at the start of the film, however. It starts with a few prayers followed by a kind of divine conversation, with 1946-style graphics depicting a trainee angel called Clarence (Henry Travers) who doesn’t yet have his wings, and who has an hour to persuade George that his life is worth living.
Another angel then shows Clarence some snippets from George’s life, starting when he’s a boy of about eleven, sledging with some friends. There’s a near crisis which George averts, although he loses part of his hearing as a result.
The next scene from George’s life shows him working in a shop which appears to have both sweets and pharmaceuticals. The pharmacist is confused and almost makes a fatal mistake, but thankfully George is able to stop him from doing so.
The flashbacks then jump ahead to George as a young man, about to embark on a long-planned trip to Europe and elsewhere. He longs to get out of the small town where he lives, and has no wish to go into the banking and loans business which his father and uncle run. His parents are supportive...then tragedy strikes, and George puts off his travels and college plans in order to save the business.
This is a pattern for the next few years of George’s life. He has many ideas and ambitions, but cares more for other people, and continually puts their wishes ahead of his own. Not that he’s unhappy: he marries Mary (Donna Reed) who loves and supports him despite an often difficult life. They have four children by the time the story reaches the climactic incident where Clarence is called in, as a result of many people’s prayers.
The first time we watched this, I kept waiting for Clarence to appear, not understanding that his part in the film, while essential, is relatively short. Most of the story builds up a picture of George’s background and personality, so that the viewer understands entirely why he’s so depressed - and we also know who is behind many of his setbacks, and the final crisis that precipitates the potential tragedy.
Clarence takes action in an unexpected way, and then takes George on a tour of the town showing him what it would have been like - and which people would have been negatively affected - if George had never existed. It’s a powerful message, one that many people need to hear, even if their involvement in other people’s lives isn’t as significant as George’s.
‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ is rated U, but I feel that the United States rating of PG is more appropriate. While there’s nothing explicit, there are plenty of innuendoes, and some mild violence. I don’t know that I’d class this as a family Christmas film. It certainly has its feel-good aspect, and a happy, heartwarming ending, complete with a Christmas carol. But some sections are quite disturbing, and I don’t think I’d want to show it to a child younger than about nine or ten. Indeed, as some of the banking and business conversations went right over my head, I suspect it wouldn’t be of much interest to children younger than around twelve or even older.
But as a nostalgic film for adults, it’s one of the best, in my opinion, and we thoroughly enjoyed seeing it again.
Definitely recommended.
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