near the end of frank capra 's holiday classic , its a wonderful life , george bailey ( jimmy stewart ) is feeling down .
he has devoted his life to others , and never fulfilled his dream of leaving his small supburb town , bedford falls . standing upon a bridge above stormy waters , he looks down , contemplating suicide .
he has potential he has n't fulfilled -- yet , he has done so much for others .
as a young chap , his ambition was to leave his hometown of bedford falls .
but times and ambitions change .
things happen , and he 's stuck .
his guardian angel is there , and shows him that . . .
it 's a wonderful life .
in a whirlwind tour of the town , george sees what life would be like without him .
he learns the moral lesson , that to live is a gift .
his earthly problems are solved .
the climatic scene is a marvel .
frank capra 's film is a centenial classic -- watched and re - experienced by every generation .
wonderful life is one of the few pictures of times gone by that seems as fresh , maybe fresher , then it did when it was first released .
many films of the thirties through seventies have aged poorly .
but this one is a near flawless example of how well a perfect script and timing can mesh with first - rate acting , wit and suspense , glorious music , and terrific set peices .
the only even slightly dated scenes are those at the begining in which god has a long chat with clarence , george 's guardian angel .
they are n't all that bad , but they remain corny and a little out of place .
nevertheless , this is one film that deserves its place in time , cinema history , and our hearts .
it can be equally appreciated by anyone of any age .
here is one genuine masterpeice , a classic that reaches heights and ambitions near perfection .
this crackling good mixture results in a film which is at once funny , exciting , moving and uplifting .
the film itself is almost a reversal of the life of george bailey -- there is n't too much to it , but capra and the gang ( various screenwriters , composers , actors ) plumet the material to its fullest potential .
the result is a film -- though not at first intended to be pigeon - holed as a holiday film -- that will always be remembered , celebrated , and loved .
deserves its place in time , cinema history , and our hearts good mixture one genuine masterpeice , a classic that reaches heights and ambitions near perfection one of the few pictures of times gone by that seems as fresh , maybe fresher , then it did to its fullest potential is a centenial classic that will always be remembered , celebrated , and loved a near flawless example of how well a perfect script and timing can mesh with first - rate acting , wit and suspense , glorious music , and terrific set peices funny , exciting , moving and uplifting can be equally appreciated by anyone of any age