Small town life

Rating: 7/10 (27 May 2014)

In It's a Wonderful Life, George Bailey (James Stewart) is man who wants out from his small town life but something always keeps him from breaking out and fulfilling his dreams. Instead he ends up working in the family loan company, helping other people out. He has a wife Mary (Donna Reed) and four children in an old house which they make their home.
On Christmas Eve, George's Uncle Bill loses $8000 while he is attempting to deposit the money in the bank but loses track when he brags to the town bigwig Mr Potter. The Bailey family nemesis, Mr Potter (Lionel Barrymore) finds the cash but keeps it to himself. George realises when the bank auditor finds out that the accounts do not match he might lose everything and go to jail. George decides to kill himself However an angel Clarence (Henry Travers) is sent to save him and to show him how valuable his life is to the people around him by taking him to the time as if he was never born where he sees an alternate timeline. George discovers that he has made a positive contribution to many peoples lives.
The story has been told many times since then in television, books and films. Even the last episode of Classic Dallas was a variant of this movie based on the Ewings if JR was not around!
The film is regarded as an all time classic and it does have merits for being novel such as the beginning of the picture with a supreme being calling for an angel and the angel being one who has yet to gain his wings that is another story done many time since.
The film is charming, winsome but also a shade too long. The alternate timeline where the town becomes a cesspit looks improbable with Mary being a spinster librarian, a friend of George (Violet) becoming a good time girl and other townsfolk becoming nasty and rather brutish.
Also Mr Potter never seems to get his comeuppance, even during the days of the code Mr Potter still managed to find a way round things!