A timeless classic

Rating: 10/10 (10 February 2013)

This classic film opens with the voices of various people praying for George Bailey; it is clear that their prayers will be answered when voices in the heavens discuss how to help him. Angel Clarence will be assigned to save George but first Clarence, and the audience, must see how George came to be considering suicide. As a child George Bailey dreamt of getting out of the small town of Bedford Falls; he wanted to see the world, get an education then make his mark on the world. It wasn't to be though; he constantly sacrifices his dreams to help others. This leaves him stuck in the town running the savings and loan company that his father ran. It isn't a job he wanted but he does it anyway giving loans to people nobody else will help. This makes him popular with everybody apart from the miserly Mr. Potter who doesn't like to see the people who were paying him to rent slums buying their own houses. The years pass and George gets married and has children; he isn't rich but he is content; then one day Potter gets the opportunity to ruin George; thinking the only way he can help his family is to kill himself for the insurance we get to the point the film started. As he hits the depth of despair Clarence appears in his life and showed him just what the town would have been like if George had never been born; a miserably place full of bitter people lorded over by the odious Potter. When George returns he understands what good friends he has.
I'd obviously heard of this film a long time ago but had somehow never seen it until today. I knew the film was considered a classic and think James Stewart was a fine actor so I had to watch it when it was on television. Now that I have seen it I ban see why it is held in such high regard. I was a little put off by the opening but once we started seeing George's life from the time he saved his brother's life when he was twelve till the very end I was engrossed. Stewart did a great job as George; the man destined to miss out on his dream each time it looked as though it would come true... even the moment he was about to go away on his honeymoon was ruined meaning he couldn't go. It isn't all disappointment though; there are many joyful scenes as George helps various people and falls in love and then marries Mary Hatch. By the end it is likely that the viewer will have shed tears of both sorrow and joy. If you haven't seen it yet watch it the next chance you get and if you have seen it I'm sure you don't need anybody else to tell you how good it is!