home | Psychology of Video Games | contact | about | RSS 
« Week 278: Farm, Fish, and Peach |Main| Book Review: Grand Theft Childhood »
Movie Review: It's a Wonderful Life (1946) May 27, 2009
Note: This is #21 in my 52 Classic Movies in 52 Weeks challenge for 2009.
Yeah, here's another one I have to admit to never having seen, despite having absorbed a lot of it through popular culture. I wasn't a minute into the film before I was yelling "Hey, they're ripping off Futurama!" And actually, I really liked It's a Wonderful Life.
The plot is that George Bailey (James Stewart) grows up in the small town of Bedford Falls and has big dreams of going to college and becoming an engineer. George is a boy and eventually a man of high character and compassion for others, and these qualities act to trap him in Bedford Falls, since there always seems to be someone there in need of his help. Mostly this takes the form of protecting his deceased father's Building & Loan Association, which is critical to helping the town's less fortunate citizens afford housing and which is constantly under attack from the nefarious banker Mr. Potter. Bailey's life story thus becomes one of constantly deferred and inevitably lost dreams, with his his own hapiness and potential always taking a back seat to the needs of his fellow men and women.
This is a surprisingly deep and meaningful portrait of a good man, and the viewer always has to wonder if he/she would have the same moral fiber as Bailey and if his sacrifices are ultimately worth it. I loved James Stewart in this role, much more than any of the previous things I've seen him in, like The Philadelphia Story or Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. This probably has a lot to do with the fact that George Bailey is actually a multifaceted and tragic character instead of a one-sided idealized character or stereotype.
And I have to admit, I got kind of misted up in the last 20 minutes or so of this life when Bailey's dilemma comes to a head and he wishes he'd never been born. It's a great story about the importance of community and sacrifice, much more effective than Mr. Smith was. So if you're the rare breed like me that's never seen it, you should check it out. I hear it's on TV like every Christmas.
Trailer below.
Also this week, Jeremy reviewed The Circus.
Comments (2) |
Permalink | 
File under:
Movies
Tags: It's A Wonderful Life, Movies
Comments
Posted by bethany actually on May 29, 2009 8:44 AM:
Wow, not having seen this movie would be kinda like...not having seen any of the many versions of A Christmas Carol! I'm glad you liked it, though, since it's long been one of my favorites. I am beginning to realize that my brother and I are fortunate to have had parents and grandparents who shared their love of classic movies with us when we were fairly young. :-)
Posted by shawn on May 29, 2009 1:35 PM:
I've hate to say I have never seen this movie either.