Drew’s review published on Letterboxd:
It’s a Wonderful Life is one of the great pillars of American cinematic culture. It’s an inescapable picture, so ingrained in the nation’s psyche, that even those of us who’ve never seen the film, are acutely aware of its existence and it’s impact.
What I was not aware of, however, was how genuinely touching and important it’s story is.
The film plays out as a sort of reverse Christmas Carol, with a happy man being shown visions of the negative impact of his absence when he turns sour, rather than a sour man being shown visions to turn him good.
Jimmy Stewart plays George Bailey, the kind of selfless, hard working man that we all (Stewart and director Capra included) strive to be like. Beyond it’s fun and, at time goofy, coming of age first act, the film is a populist, anti-corporate story about the power of collective action and community.
The film takes nothing for granted when it comes to honoring the impact individuals have on each others lives within a shared community, as shown by Clarence the angel demonstrating the negative impact removing George’s contributions would have.
But most importantly, the film does not assert that George Bailey is especially fit for his position in his community or inherently deserving of their help. We are all capable of being a George Bailey and we should all work to act in accordance with his values. He is an example of who we all can be when we give a shit about other people and It’s a Wonderful Live is a tremendous story of a community returning the favor to one of their most devoted members.
