Mawkishness defined

Rating: 2/10 (26 December 2019)

Frank Capra was derided by his contemporaries as producing "Capracorrn", deeply sentimental films. Yet he always seemed to know his limits, producing films that made us proud, filled with tears of joy. He probably reached his zenith in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939). Yet his next film came perilously close to the edge of mawkishness when he didn't let John Doe commit suicide. After the was, he seemed to lose his touch completely. It's a Wonderful Life is deeply over the edge of mawkishness, a sickly sweet, deeply marred film, totally unbelievable. In my opinion, it's the worst film made by a major director for a major studio in the history of film. It's too bad it fell out of copyright, allowing it to be plastered across TV screens without end during Christmas, to create a "classic".
Unbelievably, Capra passed up directing It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947) to do Wonderful Life. Here was a story of comedy, romance, sweetness and pure joy, that was nominated for best screen play. It's my favorite Christmas film. On the other hand, perhaps we're lucky he didn't take it. What a tragedy to be ruined by a director who had lost his way.