It’s a wonderful life is my absolute favorite movie. The story follows George Bailey, played by James Stewart to a point in his life where through no fault of his own he is on the verge of seeing everything he worked for his whole life fall apart. He is understandably distraught and thinks that he is better off dead, or worse, having never existed at all. His guardian angel decides to show him how much his life has enriched those around him, by showing him what things would be like in his quaint little town if he had never been born. He gets the chance to see that it’s a wonderful life.
The beauty of it’s a wonderful life is that it contains a timeless realism because the evil nemesis, Mr. Potter never gets his comeuppance. He cheats, steals and devalues humanity with impunity, getting richer and richer. His only competition is Bailey’s savings and loan cooperative that empowers the hardworking individual and helps people realize their dreams. The moral of the story is that all the money in the world won’t make people love you and that for the average person, their value is in their associations, friends and family. Or as Harry Bailey put it, “A toast to my big brother George, the Richest man in town.” – Truly, it’s a wonderful life is a Christmas Gift for the entire family
