Although there is a picture of it to the right, pretend you don't see it and tell me what movie I am describing. A man at the end of his rope, his business is about to fail, he may be arrested any moment, everything he has worked for has failed, he screams at his wife and kids while their just going about their daily life, he throws things in a rage at the wall, scaring his entire family, making them cry. He then runs out on them, drinks himself into oblivion, gets in a fight, drives drunk into a tree, survives, then decides to jump of a bridge killing himself for the insurance money. I am not describing a Coen brothers movie, but instead the family holiday classic It's a Wonderful Life (1946).
I hadn't seen It's a Wonderful Life in years and as you can tell it really struck me by how dark the movie was, and I really liked that aspect of this film. George Bailey is a desperate man, a man that seems to have it together until one thing goes wrong and he falls apart. Jimmy Stewart gives maybe his best performance here, watch him as he starts to get angry, he is truly terrifying. As much as I always liked Stewart I have complained that he tends to go through the motions, that is not the case here, I've never seen him have such range.
So is It's a Wonderful Life a classic Christmas story? I don't think so. It takes place during the holidays, its got an angel, and an uplifting ending. It has some classic direction by Frank Capra, but I didn't find it all that Christmasy. I think it is just a classic film.
Not everything about this film works however. More specifically I don't think the beginning or the end work, which when it comes to films those are the two most important parts. I didn't need talking stars to tell me about angels coming to earth, I would have figured it out. Also, the ending is a bit too convenient and tidy, but I can forgive it.
This is my favorite Capra movie and my favorite Stewart performance and that combination deserves praise.
****
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