The meaning of life and of Xmas

Rating: 10/10 (21 January 2017)

This is one of my favorite movies ever and definitely my favorite Christmas movie ever. Although I'm not American, this was part of my upbringing, and it was shown on TV every Christmas, it still does.
This is, foremost, a great movie, with a great direction, a great story, great performances, great tempo and atmosphere, a glorious BW and a classic old glamour Hollywood melodrama. It is of course, very sentimental, but also very philosophical.
I love James Steward. He was the quintessential good charming actor able to convey goodness with his mere presence; he becomes his character here in a heartfelt performance. Yet, this is a choral movie in which everybody shines and everybody seems to be doing the same. I have always had a weakness for Henry Travers, who plays Clarence, but everybody is great and believable in their respective roles.
This is a movie about despair, that reminds us that, even in our darkest moments, there is always something or somebody that will help us if we allow ourselves to be helped.
This is a movie about being mindful about what we wish for, and about what comes from our mouth, about being grateful about what we have and not taking it for granted.
This is a movie about the power of family and community, and about the power of being a good human being and how goodness, our goodness, impacts other people in ways that aren't always evident to us.
This is a movie about the value of leading your life in an ethical way, because when you do, people notice, and respect comes by the hand.
Finally, this is a movie about the spirit of Christmas. These days the festivities have become part of frenzy of empty consumerism, lack of empathy for the poor, and another holiday. However, when I watch this movie it brings me memories of my childhood when Christmas was a magic period despite my family not having many means. Probably because of what Christmas has become today, I find it more relevant for the new generations. It has all the magic and values that I would like my children, if I had any, to grow up with.
The movie is very sentimental, of course. It never fails to move me. But it is not cheap sentimentalism. It digs into what the meaning of life is, and comes up with an answer that surprises because it is obvious and we have it in front of us every single day.
Unforgettable.