My Favorite Movie

Rating: 10/10 (25 December 2013)

It's Christmas Eve in the town of Bedford Falls and George Bailey, a man who has spent his entire life sacrificing for others, is thinking of taking his life. Knowing George is in trouble, though perhaps not the extent, his family and friends pray that God help him. And that's exactly what He does -- in the form of an angel named Clarence. Throughout the bulk of the film, Clarence is brought up to date on George's life (as are the viewers). From childhood to adulthood, he sees that George has been a heroic noble soul, giving until it hurts and then giving some more. In order to save George, Clarence must show him what an impact he has had on the world and those he loves.
James Stewart's performance is flawless. One of the core strengths of the film is how it covers so much emotional ground. From happy to sad to angry to loving, Stewart masters it all. He's an actor who appeared in virtually every kind of film and that helps here as he has to handle drama, romance, comedy, fantasy...even a little action thrown in for good measure. His performance in this film is my earliest recollection as a child of being in awe of an actor.
Lionel Barrymore gives a career-defining performance here. For generations to come, he would be remembered as the villainous Mr. Potter. He had a storied career, full of so many different parts and very few of them were bad guys. One of his best roles was the gruff but lovable and wise Dr. Gillespie in the Dr. Kildare series for MGM. So it's kind of ironic that Barrymore is best known for portraying a thoroughly rotten man. But that's the talent of the man. He breathed life into Potter and made him so hissable.
Such a great cast. The wonderful Henry Travers has his career-defining role, as well. Who doesn't love Clarence Odbody, AS2 (Angel Second Class)? The heavenly Donna Reed. She positively glows in this film. As a kid watching I thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world. I think it again every time I watch this movie. Ward Bond and Frank Faylen as the ORIGINAL Bert & Ernie. Gloria Graham as the sultry Violet Bick. Samuel S. HInds and Beulah Bondi as the Bailey parents. The amazing Thomas Mitchell as Uncle Billy. Who can forget H.B. Warner's moving performance as Mr. Gower? William Edmunds as Martini and Sheldon Leonard as Nick the bartender. Todd Karns as Harry Bailey. And all those wonderful child actors playing the Bailey kids as well as those in the flashbacks. Just a perfect cast.
Frank Capra, one of my absolute favorite filmmakers, does such a brilliant job at directing here. Amazing pace. The film never slows down but never feels rushed. He worked from a script that had many authors. Normally, this would be a terrible sign for a film and would almost certainly mean it was a disjointed mess. But that couldn't be further from the truth in this case. The script is tight, flawless even. Wonderful lines, memorable scenes. So many memorable scenes. It's hard to even pinpoint which to talk about because the entire movie is one classic scene after another. But I'll try. There are brilliant scenes like "George Lassos the Moon," the bank run, the childhood confrontation with a grieving Mr. Gower, or the wonderful ending. But here are two of my favorites. The phone call scene where George and Mary share a phone. Such a sensual, romantic scene as they give into their feelings. The prayer in the bar is such a moving scene. Stewart's performance is so powerful here it's criminal he didn't win an Oscar for this role. So many more unforgettable scenes I could mention.
I think of it as the greatest film ever made. I know there are some who will knock that. I realize there are all kinds of technical and cultural reasons that this film or that is the greatest. Citizen Kane, for example. While I love Kane or the Godfather films or countless other contenders, most of them are purely dramatic works that don't have for me what this film has: compelling rewatchability. It's my favorite film. It's as simple as that. I have seen it countless times. It's a beautiful story with Dickensian touches. A charming, funny, dramatic, sentimental, romantic, uplifting movie that makes me happy.