Review of It's a Wonderful Life (1946) by Roxanne C — 24 Dec 2015

It's a Wonderful Life is the ultimate Christmas movie. It has more depth than it might seem to have. It addresses life as it is, with all its warts and suggests it's evaluation may require deeper investigation that we usually give it. In this movie, George Bailey has a problem. He has deferred all his dreams to accommodate others. He gives all his energy for family and community but seems to get little in return. This current problem is the last straw, and he's ready throw in the towel, until his guardian angel enters to provide that deeper analysis, exposing George to information he could not otherwise access.

I recommend this movie for the depressed and the discouraged. I recommend it to anyone seeking to recapture the spirit of Christmas. I love Jimmy Stuart's performance for its honest expression of anger and feeling. With so many movies presenting heroes with unrealistic equanimity in times of trouble, it is reaffirming to see how Jimmy responds to that last straw. It isn't a model for us to emulate, but it assures us we can have human weakness and still be good people at heart. I think this is the best performance of Mr. Stuart's illustrious career.