Can One Even Imagine A Time Without This Movie?

Rating: 10/10 (6 March 2017)

One of the hallmarks of a truly classic film is its ability to make the viewer wonder, partially in exclamation but also partly in all seriousness, "what was the world like before this experience?!". "It's A Wonderful Life" provides that exact emotion, as perhaps no movie in the history of cinema has concocted a better mixture of acting, emotional, seasonal relevance, and a story that will reach into the very depths of your soul.
For a basic plot summary, "Wonderful Life" tells the story of George Bailey (James Stewart), a simple man from a simple town (Bedford Falls) who desperately wants to escape his father's "Building & Loan" business and travel the world. Every time he is about to take that "next step", however, George (through both external and internal devices) remains in Bedford Falls managing the family business. Along the way, he marries childhood sweetheart Mary (Donna Reed), morally classes with iron-clad town business baron Mr. Potter (Lionel Barrymore), and eventually ends up building a life in the very place he once so desperately wanted to escape from. On Christmas Eve, however, George is dealt a horrific blow and is on the verge of ending his own life until he discovers he has a guardian angel looking out for him, showing him what a sad place a George Bailey-less world would be.
The main reason this movie works so well is because we all have a little bit of George Bailey in us. That is why the poignant moments of this film capture our deepest emotions and promote serious life-reflection...because we know how easily each one of us could be (or even are) living out the actions of Mr. Bailey on a daily basis.
This incredible plot is then bolstered by the perfect casting choice of "everyman" Jimmy Stewart to play the lead. Because Mr. Stewart is an actor that we can all relate to, due to his spot-on portrayal of real human emotions, we can not only "think" the plot, but also "live" it vicariously through Stewart. The other cast members (especially Barrymore as the nefarious Potter) are brilliant as well, with each knowing just how to coax the right amount of emotion out of his/her role.
In short, "It's A Wonderful Life" is easily one of the greatest motion pictures ever constructed. It is completely genre-diverse, can be enjoyed by the entire family, and will thoroughly entertain you while also prompting some pretty deep introspection. If for some reason you haven't seen this gem, you have made a terrible mistake (!).