I beg to disagree...

Rating: 5/10 (9 May 2014)

Now, here is one movie where I will have to disagree with almost everybody. I do not care that this film has become a Christmas staple, and notwithstanding my love and admiration for Frank Capra and James Stewart, this movie is far from even being particularly good, let alone a masterpiece. This is a movie that somehow got hyped up with the passing of time, and now exists in a universe of its own. It is telling that at the time of its making, it did not even receive a single Oscar. Apparently, at the time, nobody thought it to be so special...
Now, if you look at this picture objectively and without the typically "small-town-America do-good pink-shaded sunglasses", you will find a very simple, obvious and at times boring story. The characters are so simplified, that most are just caricatures of real people (just look at the local villain). Technically, there is nothing to write home about either. The sound, as a matter of fact is terrible, one can barely discern the (sometimes confusing) dialog.
And then we come to (according to the masses, and not only) the most important part of the movie: the message. Here is where I have another major problem... I may be cynical or stupid, but I do not see what this all-important transcendental message is; If it is simply 'be a good person', this could have been (and has been) done much better. This movie is a mix of slapstick Hollywood 'feel good' and of political correctness '1947 style'. No wonder it fares so good in our modern times...