It's a Wonderful Life

This staple of the holiday season has a carefully effective way of structuring its complex story. First, the angels are framed front-and-center as the true heroes of the story until they introduce the character of George Bailey when they are set aside for the story to flow naturally. Then the rather long runtime surveys the relevant events of George’s life, with each segment feeling like its own contained television episode. When it reaches the point of George’s fateful decision to end his life, Clarence is casually reintroduced as the guardian angel who will save him, the point when the audience has already forgotten that this movie is primarily about the angels, not necessarily George. It subverts expectations while also reminding everyone watching the value of their life.
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While filming, director Frank Capra opted to film the outdoor winter scenes inside a refrigerated set to get cold breath from the actors. To create the snow, he went for a mixture of ice, gypsum, plaster, fomite, ivory soap, and water—a massive new achievement in producing cinematic snow. Yet other elements demonstrate why It’s a Wonderful Life eventually became the most famous Christmas movie ever made, such as the expertly staged scenes of dialogue and the angelic black-and-white cinematography. It may have been ignored for many years after its original release, but now it’s rightfully celebrated as the rare movie that’s capable of not just changing lives, but saving them.

PG (SV)
Drama/Fantasy
2 hr. 10 min.

Watch it to THINK.
​Watch it to feel HAPPY.
​Watch it to feel SAD.