Holiday Treasure

Rating: 10/10 (17 June 2009)

This is easily my favorite Christmas film and also one of my favorite films of all time.
The story of George Bailey (James Stewart) who as a young man dreamed of traveling the world and making a difference, until outside influences and obligations tie him forever to his small home town of Bedford Falls. While George endeavors to make a difference in Bedford Falls while raising a loving family, circumstances would once again take a hand causing George to questions what good his life has been and whether everyone would be better of if he had never been born. Thus we have the premise upon which our story will focus with some very obvious debts to Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol".
While the movie wasn't a huge success upon its initial release it would still be nominated for 5 Oscars including; Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Editing. And this film has a very impressive pedigree in terms of both its Director Frank Capra and its cast. So while some will see this film as a surprise belated hit I don't think it's really all that surprising.
The films cast includes five Academy Award Winners; James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell, Gloria Grahame along with Ward Bond, H.B. Warner and a pair of Academy Award nominees in Beulah Bondi and Henry Travers.
The message of film along with its depictions of family, friends and small town life are the great strengths of Director Frank Capra's work perhaps best realized here. Although Capra would not win here, he would earn three Oscar's as best director over his career.
As has oft been told, the films popular revival is due largely to a lapse in its copyright in 1974 which allowed local TV outlets to air it for free which made it very popular as seasonal programming.