It's a Wonderful Life is a near-perfect movie that fits securely into my top five films of all time. This classic from 1947 delivers high-quality art and will always be remembered as one of the best Christmas pictures ever made.
George Bailey (James Stewart) is a man who can never catch a break. Most dreams he had of travel and college were constantly destroyed by responsibilities and guilt he was forced to carry. Taking on the Bailey Building and Loans and more affected his ambitions. Many movies have portrayed depression on screen, but this film arguably shows it with the most understanding. This is back when depression wasn't understood yet too. (Click this link for an in-depth review of this and James Stewart.)
You can see how certain things push his mind to consider such a terrible outcome. Also, the film tastefully portrays love, family, and it shows some more important Christmas elements. Angels hear the prayers of the people in Bedford Falls. Clarence the guardian angel (Henry Travers) comes to be that answer to prayer and save the life of George Bailey who needs to see how important he really is to everyone around him. Seeing what the world is like without you can show just how much you mean.
Frank Capra does an excellent job directing the movie. Nothing is out of place or unnecessary. The script flows very well, and the editing and pacing are perfect. The best part of the movie to me is James Stewart in the lead role. Depending on the day, his presentation is #1 or #2 all-time! That's how transformative I find this role. Also, his character shows romance with Mary Bailey (Donna Reid), humor, drama, depression, and much more. His emotions tell a whole other story. Every actor and actress showed off their best stuff too. This is something adults and kids can understand in different ways.
I have no need for a paragraph listing problems with the movie because I have none. Any problem people have about this picture is just nitpicking in my opinion.
Overall, this is a Christmas classic that should be watched every year, but you do not have to wait till December to see it for yourself. A memorable quote from the movie is "Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings." You can find this all over the place come Christmas time on all types of memorabilia. My movie rating is A+++.
This movie is also one of my very favorite movies as well! Great blog!