A true classic if there ever was one

Rating: Null/10 (30 November 2005)

What could I possibly write about "It's a Wonderful Life" that hasn't already been written? It is my favorite film starring my favorite actor James Stewart. Beautifully directed by Frank Capra, it is a masterpiece about the joys and trials of everyday life, and its main lesson is the fact that nobody is born to be a failure and that everybody is important. A struggling man named George Bailey (Stewart) sees life pass him by as he forgoes his opportunities to travel the world, go to college, and do all sorts of outstanding things. George considers himself a failure and never realizes what a great man he is until he meets his guardian angel Clarence (Henry Travers), who shows him how different many people's lives would have been had George never been born.
"It's a Wonderful Life" contains such an outstanding cast that it is difficult to imagine anyone else playing these parts so effectively. Frank Capra had only James Stewart in mind for the all-American George Bailey, and he could not have made a better choice. Not to mention Donna Reed as George's sweet, comforting wife Mary; Lionel Barrymore as the cold, Scrooge-like Mr. Potter; Thomas Mitchell as the fun-loving, irresponsible Uncle Billy; Henry Travers as George's lovable, kindhearted guardian angel Clarence; Beulah Bondi as George's warmhearted mother; Samuel S. Hinds as George's caring-about-others-before-himself father; H. B. Warner as the drunken-turned-responsible druggist Mr. Gower; and on and on the list goes. Honestly, no other actors could have portrayed these roles so well.
Here are my favorite highlights from "It's a Wonderful Life," and there are quite a few. At the end, amidst all the donations and tears of joy at the Bailey residence, the one moment that almost never fails to bring tears to my eyes is George's discovery of the inscription on the inside cover of Clarence's copy of "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer": "Dear George, Remember NO MAN is a failure who has friends. Thanks for the wings! Love, Clarence." George displays his darker side when he both yells at Uncle Billy for misplacing the $8,000 and lashes out at his family shortly thereafter. James Stewart's initial appearances in this film serve as a reminder of his prewar all-American image, particularly when George describes the giant suitcase he wants for his European tour, or when he talks quietly with his father at the dinner table, or when he confronts the scheming Potter, who threatens to dissolve the Bailey Building & Loan Association after the sudden death of George's father. Arguably the loudest and funniest scene in the picture involves the Charleston dance at the high school gymnasium, during which the floor opens up to reveal a swimming pool below. George and Mary spend their wedding night in the same dilapidated old house that they threw rocks at years ago, but the music and the candlelight dinner are just right (as actor Tom Bosley pointed out, if George has had a wonderful life in humble Bedford Falls, to a large extent it was Mary who made it so). Mr. Gower physically abuses young George (Bobbie Anderson) for not delivering a prescription, until Gower realizes what he had put in the capsules! George runs through Pottersville in shock at the unfamiliar buildings and the interesting music filtering through some of them. Upon Clarence's announcing that he is an angel second class, the night watchman (Tom Fadden) falls backward out of his chair! And finally, the film displays its sentimentality right from the opening shots, in which the humble voices of George's family and friends are heard praying for him.
"It's a Wonderful Life" is a classic, no doubt about it. I enjoy it not only during the Christmas season but all through the year. James Stewart WAS George Bailey, and he has my utmost praise for such a fine performance. The film was Stewart's and Capra's favorite, and no wonder. Capra was passionate about the story, and Stewart gave it his all after five years of having not appeared in feature films. In short, "It's a Wonderful Life" is a truly remarkable film.