With the insane amount of love and adoration that's been thrown at this film since its initial release, I was starting to worry that it might not live up to the hype- but man, was I wrong to doubt it.

This film is every bit as beautiful and touching as I've heard.

While the whole "Wish I'd Never Been Born", angle that this film is most famous for, doesn't really come into full effect until we're well past the halfway point, I love the amount of time this film spends developing its protagonist: George Bailey (James Stewart).

From a young age, George is endlessly caring and selfless- regularly putting the needs of others before his own. George is generous to a fault in fact, as we quickly find out.

Aside from his good-natured heart, what makes George such a compelling character, is how conflicted he becomes when he's forced to make difficult decisions that could potentially benefit others, but at the cost of his own growth. With one unfortunate setback after another, George comes to the realization, that to truly help some people in need, he may have to sacrifice his own dreams and aspirations in the process.

I don't think we could have asked for a better lead, than James Stewart for this kind of film. Granted, I haven't seen too many of the man's films, but he's incredible in this, bringing so much depth to the character with his layered performance. Charming, likeable, sympathetic, and above all else- human, you want to see George succeed and overcome his hardships- which is why, when we see him suddenly at risk of losing everything he's worked so hard to build, we feel for him. When his anger gets the best of him, and we see him lash out at his family to the point that he actually manages to reduce his young daughter to tears, it hurts.

Even in its less hopeful moments, Frank Capra's holiday classic is about as life-affirming as movies can get. It's filled with several wonderful messages, demonstrating that even if things don't go as we originally planned- even if life throws us a few unexpected curveballs, that the actions we take, and the people we impact during our short time here, can make it all worthwhile. At the end of the day, even the smallest act of kindness can have a giant rippling effect.

Version Watched: Original Black and White Version.