Saw this bad boy for the 75th anniversary screening at 7 PM on a Wednesday when everyone else my age in the theater was experiencing Pandora just mere theater tremors away. No regrets. 

There have been many a piece written about It’s A Wonderful Life. To survive this long as a classic, a film must not only be timeless, but pliable. It takes different shapes in the mind of each viewer and impacts everyone so acutely. So of course there are a 100 different takes and tonight you’re gonna hear 101. 

There are many Christmas films in which the power of love and family and community save the day. It’s well known that by the ancient bylaws of Christmas film, good people end up with a good ending. And George Bailey, by all accounts, is a good person. He regularly sacrifices for the greater good, has a strong moral sense of right and wrong, and gives up his dreams so that others don’t suffer. 

But, he doesn’t always act like a good person. He gets bitter and sulky and inconsiderate when things don’t go his way. Not only near the end, but it’s also what almost prevents him from marrying Mary. It earns him a well deserved punch at Martini’s. He drives while drunk (very bad) and crashes into a tree (could be worse, but still bad). And yet, the audience empathizes with him because we know he’s good. We know why he’s in this state and we know that this isn’t him. It’s him, but it isn’t him. He’s a good person who loves his family despite all that he says and does. 

This film puts in so much time and energy into its groundwork precisely so the audience understands George. It allows us to be empathetic with him when he lashes out, and forgive him far before he forgives himself. Because not only is George deeply discontent with his life, he’s deeply discontent with himself. He thinks he’s brought nothing into this world. He reflects on himself and his nasty actions and truly believes that that is all that he is. 

And that’s why the end hits so hard. Because we’ve already forgiven George, and when he comes home and runs up to his children and they hug and kiss and love him despite what he did earlier that night, they recognize him for who he is, a good person. And so does his wife and everyone else in town and that’s why they collect the money. And in that moment, George not only realizes what he has but who he is. He is kind to himself, and as the audience, we are kinder to ourselves. We are kinder to each other. We know that when we do bad things, and think we’re bad because of it, that’s not true, and the people we love know the truth of things, just like we look on them with kindness and empathy.

The first time I watched this film, I was completely fine for the entire thing until the last scene when I proceeded to excuse myself to the bathroom where I cried for 30 minutes. There is something universal and transcendental about It’s a Wonderful Life, and as much as I want to rage against capitalism, it ultimately comes down to how we love another. What a picture.