I assumed this all around “Christmas classic” would be the same, so I was shocked when I realized It's a Wonderful Life wasn't quite what I thought it to be.
I always knew it was about George Bailey who had spent his life sacrificing his dreams to stay in his small hometown to take care of the family business. And then on Christmas, he wants to kill himself and an angel without wings shows him what life would be like if he'd never been born, at which time George realizes the impact his life has had on others and Clarence the Angel gets his wings.
What I didn't know was that the film doesn't even bring in Clarence (in physical form) nor much of Christmas until the last half hour, and that first hour is glimpsing various tough moments in George's life over three decades, making it the most depressing two hours of holiday fun one could imagine.
I understand that in order to know why George ended up on that bridge, we had to witness what kind of life he's had, but at times it felt to be a bit much with his self-sacrificing attitude and very little joy. It left me wondering why it took him so long to hit a breaking point. I also take issue with the main message about how the world would be a horrible place if this one ordinary man hadn't been born. Clarence couldn't let him think the world would've kept on spinning without him or then the film would've really been depressing.
All that being said, I loved the movie, I teared up at the end when the entire town comes to George's aid to save the family business, which embodied the Christmas spirit more than anything. I also feel that it made a better point of showing George how his selfless acts touched the people around him, much more than showing him a world where he'd never been born. Though It's a Wonderful Life still held some surprises and the joyous end justified the depressing means, I can tell you it’s a great movie to watch with the family during christmas.
I always knew it was about George Bailey who had spent his life sacrificing his dreams to stay in his small hometown to take care of the family business. And then on Christmas, he wants to kill himself and an angel without wings shows him what life would be like if he'd never been born, at which time George realizes the impact his life has had on others and Clarence the Angel gets his wings.
What I didn't know was that the film doesn't even bring in Clarence (in physical form) nor much of Christmas until the last half hour, and that first hour is glimpsing various tough moments in George's life over three decades, making it the most depressing two hours of holiday fun one could imagine.
I understand that in order to know why George ended up on that bridge, we had to witness what kind of life he's had, but at times it felt to be a bit much with his self-sacrificing attitude and very little joy. It left me wondering why it took him so long to hit a breaking point. I also take issue with the main message about how the world would be a horrible place if this one ordinary man hadn't been born. Clarence couldn't let him think the world would've kept on spinning without him or then the film would've really been depressing.
All that being said, I loved the movie, I teared up at the end when the entire town comes to George's aid to save the family business, which embodied the Christmas spirit more than anything. I also feel that it made a better point of showing George how his selfless acts touched the people around him, much more than showing him a world where he'd never been born. Though It's a Wonderful Life still held some surprises and the joyous end justified the depressing means, I can tell you it’s a great movie to watch with the family during christmas.
