Correcting an Omission
In a recent review of a bad Christmas movie I suggested some good Christmas movies as alternatives. Somehow I missed mentioning It's a Wonderful Life. I probably forgot it because in some ways it really isn't a Christmas movie. The movie starts and finishes at Christmas time. But most of the movie is a flashback of George Bailey's entire life. There seems to be no particular reason that the climax had to be set at Christmas. The message - "life is precious" - is good any time of year. It would certainly have worked as a Thanksgiving movie.
But it was set at Christmas and its become a Christmas classic. In case you missed getting to see it this year you can watch it right here:
Hat tip to Al Fin.
Comments
Thanks for posting the film- I did miss the network broadcast and was glad to catch it.
I'm not an expert on the work of Frank Capra, nor even knowledgeable enough of the production of this movie to know that it was he that chose a Christmas setting.
But bigger than the "life is precious message", I think the movie is about hope and it's frequent result, faith. And that's a movie that has all kinds of reason to be set at Christmas. The days are short, the nights are long. Winter begs for hope even when the streets aren't icey. I've always thought that beyond redemption or salvation Christmas was always about hope and it's that meaning that gives the anticipation such an edge.
My son was hoping for Wii or XBox. At least a GameBoy or Nintendo 64. It was nearly painful watching that hope stretch and reach and I almost gave in.
And what I see in the story of George Baily's life, is that same kind of hope. He hopes and wants and hopes some more. And when he has to he does the right thing, over and over. He loses faith in his own choices and then gets it back. He wants it back.
The Family Man does something similar with hope and is also kind of set at Christmas. I liked the movie, and do think of it as a Christmas movie though I'm not sure I would call it a great Christmas movie.
Anyway- thanks.
Posted by: MDarling![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.blog.speculist.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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January 10, 2007 01:57 PM