Okay, I know I said in my review for season four of Stranger Things I prefer not working during such a big holiday, but me and the rest of my family celebrate Christmas in the earlier afternoon which gives me plenty of time to watch then review this classic. But also come on! When am I ever gonna get the chance to review a Christmas movie on Christmas day? So with this long explanation out of the way let's get to the review.
It's a Wonderful Life is a Christmas fantasy drama film based on Philip Van Doren Stern's 1943 short story and booklet The Greatest Gift, which that is also loosely based on Charles Dickens' all time classic novella A Christmas Carol. Liberty Films produced and RKO Radio Pictures distributed. Frank Capra directed and wrote the story with Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett.
The story is, George Bailey once had dreams of traveling world, but a family tragedy forces him to change everything. Over time George resents all of the sacrifices he's made and thinks of committing suicide. After rescuing a man named Clarence, George wishes he was never born. Clarence grants him that wish by showing what everything and everyone would be like without him in their lives. Soon, George will realize the impact he truly had in his small little world.
My Thoughts
Now don't jump me just yet. But there is a slight issue with this movie. Keep in mind I said slight. But the pace is a bit slow. And we all get it, it's the slow-burn to when we eventually get to the classic scenes of George in the alternate timeline. But there are moments where you start to feel that two hour runtime.
Now let's get praising, starting with the fantastic performance by James Stewart. The guy was amazing. He starts off all eye wide and excited about dreams and falling in love. And as the movie goes by we see Stewart bring out how the wear and tear is slowly getting to George. But his best moment other than the classic bridge scene, is when George finally snaps. Stewart's acting in that moment was incredible. He's lashing out at everybody including the actors and actresses playing his family, throwing insults and threatening people. It was an incredible moment of George finally snapping and James Stewart captured that frustration perfectly.
Then there's Frank Capra's directing. Not only does he present a more small-town America is sincere, but Capra also blends various elements together seamlessly. He gave us humor, heart, fantasy, and drama. With all these aspects put together, Capra takes us on a emotional but hopeful journey.
The last thing I'll praise and I bet you didn't see this coming, is the story. Now I was fully aware of the story not because I've watched this many times before, but because I've seen been talked about, spoofed, and referenced many times before. But even I knew what I was getting into I was still firmly invested and even quite touched by what I watched. Cause the main topic is ageless and universal. At some point in our lives we all thought everything would be better off if we weren't born. Whether anybody wanted to commit suicide is a subject for people much smarter then me to dicuss. But some sort of revelation has made realize our actions whether intentional or not have had a big impact on someone else. But even if that never happened to you, the story still grabs you because of the journey George goes through. He thinks it's all meaningless because it seems like his sacrifices haven't amounted to anything. But by the end it's so rewarding to see him realize his life is far more richer than he could ever imagine.
I know I slightly criticized the pacing, but I found all the good aspects outweighed the bad. It goes without saying but after finally watching this I've finally come to see why It's a Wonderful Life is regarded as an all-time Christmas classic.
My final rating is, A MUST WATCH!
So that's all for now. Come back on Monday, Dec 29th, for the final part of Looking Back at the Films of 2024. Until then, I wish for all of you to have a very Merry Christmas. 🎄
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